Women's Volleyball Puts Two Up, Two Down

Author: Bryan Goldberg

The Middlebury women's volleyball team continued their trend of solid play, splitting four games during their second straight weekend of tournament play. The Panthers kicked off their week Tuesday night against a strong Union College side in what they hoped would set the tone for the weekend's Amherst Classic.
In what proved to be their closest matchup since last weekend's nailbiter against Colby,the Panthers fell to Union 3-2. Fortunately, the loss did not set the stage for what turned out to be a successful tournament that included victories over both Western Connecticut and North Eastern Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rival Tufts en route to late round losses. Unlike last weekend's NESCAC tournament, the Amherst Classic was played in elimination style, meaning that the Panthers had to work their way through the brackets before clashing with perennial-powerhouse M.I.T. and the well-supported host team.
Late losses aside, the Panther women were in good spirits. "We
really clicked on Friday night," said Danielle Boniello '04 after the
tournament. "We were having so much fun out there. The team chemistry paid off big time," she continued. Like all tightly knit teams, the Panthers benefited from strong leadership. Both Evan Kanaly '03 and Katie Kenney '03 brought their A-games, the latter exhibiting fierce determinationin overcoming a challenging injury. "Katie played with amazing intensity,"added Boniello, "she is always ready to play, but Saturday night she was more than that. She was an inspiration."
The Panthers take on Plattsburgh Tuesday night before receiving a well-earned week off as they prepare for the second half of their regular season. They will be back in action on Oct. 8 against St. Michael's College. These two long anticipated matchups will be crucial if the Panthers hope to continue their string of six straight winning seasons.