Women’s volleyball defeats two ranked opponents at NYU Showdown
The Violets prepare for the final stretch of the season after they capitalized in a hard-fought tournament this past weekend.
File photo: Lindsey Hirano sets a ball. (Photo by Vincent Dusovic, Courtesy of NYU Athletics)
October 12, 2022
The NYU women’s volleyball team faced off in the NYU Showdown, a two-day event this weekend, and competed against No. 8 Calvin University, No. 9 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 19 Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Swarthmore College. Across four matches, the Violets concluded the tournament with three wins.
In its first match of the weekend, NYU took on the Calvin Knights. Even at one set a piece, the Calvin Knights won two straight sets to clinch the match. With NYU looking to avenge its loss earlier in the day, senior outside hitter Haley Holz posted a team-high 17 kills in a 3-1 victory over the Swarthmore Garnet.
In total, Holz amassed 59 kills through all four games and was named the University Athletic Association’s offensive athlete of the week. After NYU took the first set 25-21, Swarthmore earned a 25-27 second-set win. NYU bounced back in the third and fourth sets and took both sets 25-21. First-year setter Ava Launsbach would set new career highs in aces and digs, kicking off her athletic career at NYU.
On day two, the Violets built off of their momentum and started the day strong. NYU defeated the UW-Whitewater Warhawks in four sets, with scores of 25-20, 27-29, 25-16 and 25-21. In the final match of the weekend, NYU was in a back-and-forth battle against the MIT Engineers.
This match would go into five sets, with NYU taking the first and third sets. Trailing 6-8 in the decisive fifth set, the Violets went on a 5-0 run to take an 11-8 lead. Holz registered the game-winning kill as the Violets finished 3-1 overall at the NYU Showdown.
Every match was a battle to the end, but the Violets managed to keep on fighting the entire weekend. This performance has bumped NYU up from No. 10 to 8 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Women’s Coaches Poll. Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Lindsey Hirano was named UAA’s athlete of the week in defense and setting as she averaged six digs per set in the four games. Hirano was also recognized as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Metro Defensive Player of the Month for September.
The Violets now turn their attention to the third UAA Round Robin at the University of Rochester on Sunday, Oct. 16.
Contact Kyle Yuan at [email protected].
