NYU women’s volleyball defended their home court on Saturday as the team hosted the Eastern College Athletic Conference ECAC Metro/Upstate Tournament Championship. This marked the 11th-straight postseason appearance for NYU, who won the ECAC championship in 2008.

The Violets took on the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders in the quarterfinals on Thursday, turning them away in three straight games (25-15, 25-11, 25-15). Junior setter and captain Hope Bogle had an impressive five service aces in the match.

With the win, the team advanced to the semifinals against the Kean University Cougars on Saturday morning. The Cougars represented a particular problem for the Violets because of their impressive 28-11 regular season record. Nonetheless, the team took the match three games to none (25-11, 25-19, 28-26) en route to the ECAC championship game. The Violets had 45 kills in the game to a mere 30 for the Cougars. Bogle also chipped in with an impressive 22 assists.

For the Violets, their final match game was familiar as they faced off against the Elmira College Soaring Eagles for the ECAC championship for the second time in two years. In last year’s match, Elmira got the better of NYU, but the home team was determined to get a measure of revenge this time around.

“After finishing as runner-up last year, we weren’t going to let Elmira beat us again,” said junior opposite Perri Goldberg.

On Saturday, the team avenged last season’s loss, beating Elmira 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-22) in a hard-fought match. Junior outside hitter Alexandria Mao was named the tournament’s most outstanding player, racking up 20 kills in the championship game. Adding to their impressive offensive showing, the team also played well on defense, registering 85 digs.

Kaylee Schanda contributed to the superb defensive effort with a match-high 24 digs. Even though the team was not able to play for the University Athletic Association Championship, this match has given the team a great deal of hope for the future.

“We all want to leave a legacy when we graduate, and although our team has had a rocky season, we are continuously building and getting stronger, and this championship was a great step in the right direction for where we want NYU volleyball to go,” Goldberg said.

Indeed, the team will have a large number of returning members, as only two seniors are graduating after this year.

Despite the team’s rocky season, as Goldberg put it, they still ended it with a new piece of hardware on the shelf at Coles and a bit of satisfaction.

“The win was a great way to end our season and put everything we’ve been working on this season together,” said sophomore outside hitter Vera Shulgina.

To be sure, this team was built on tenacity and spirit, and it has definitely paid off, as they finished out their season with a key victory.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Nov. 12 print edition. Chris Marcotrigiano is a staff writer. Email him at [email protected].