The NYU women’s volleyball team closed out the season on a high note on Nov. 7 thanks to a strong performance from a trio of seniors to beat Brandeis University in straight sets with scores of 25-20, 25-15 and 25-22, finishing the season 20-18.

The match was played at Carnegie Mellon University, which hosted the UAA’s end-of-the-year conference tournament. Senior middle blocker Sonya Bray tied for the lead in kills, racking up 10 in her final match as a Violet, and senior setter Katie Robinson totaled 18 assists and also added eight kills of her own to go along with Bray’s. The third of the senior trio, middle blocker Allie Williams, buried the final kill of the match to take her total to four on the afternoon. The Violets were never in danger of losing a match to Brandeis, which had a record of 7-24. With this win, they finished seventh in the UAA championship, one spot above their opponent.

It was a positive end to a season that did not play out as well as expected. After reaching the NCAA tournament’s second round last season, Violet players and coaches were hoping for a similar success story, only to be disappointed by missing the postseason. However, the season was not a complete loss, as NYU finished two games over .500.

Many of the team’s losses came in matches that, even when dropped 3-0 or 3-1, consisted of games decided by five points or fewer.

The team saw its highs and lows throughout the season, stringing together a streak in September when they won nine out of 10 matches. Just over a month later, they would drop 10 of their next 12 down the stretch of the season, and virtually eliminate any chance of a deep playoff run.

Junior Nicole Frias was the leader in kills with 237, while Williams led the team by notching 472 assists. Sophomore libero MaTia Hughes, not surprisingly, led the team in digs with 594 on the campaign. She also was the team’s best statistical server, totaling 48 service aces on the year.

Next fall seems promising, as Frias and Hughes will be returning to the Violets. They will also get back freshmen Brooke Tannahill and Zoe Prince and sophomores Josie Luck and Gigi Morally, who were all key contributors this season.

With the opportunity to improve their skills and become accustomed to the team as well as college volleyball, these young talents will likely deliver stellar performances next season.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Nov. 10 print edition. Email Bobby Wagner at [email protected].