Garrett College Women’s Volleyball swept Allegany College of Maryland 25-11, 25-13, 25-23 on Tuesday night in an NJCAA Division II Region 20 play-in match in McHenry, Maryland. The eighth-seeded Lady Lakers improved to 10-7 and advanced to the regional quarterfinals for the second time in three years, while ninth-seeded Allegany College of Maryland fell to 8-9.
Kyla Gilbert led Garrett College with match highs of nine kills and 12 digs. Mia Barrios added eight kills and 10 digs, while Teyla Holloway-Powers recorded a match-high 16 assists.
Garrett College Controls First Two Sets
Garrett College took control early, with Bre Boyer serving nine consecutive points as the Lady Lakers built a 12-2 lead in the opening set. Garrett College finished the frame 25-11.
The Lady Lakers created separation again in the second set with a 10-3 run that included two kills from Gilbert, a kill from Barrios and a service ace from Barrios. The run gave Garrett College a 20-8 advantage before it closed out the set 25-13.
“They came out ready to play even more than I realized,” observed first-year head coach Beth Campbell. “We’ve had some rough practices and the girls really came together. They basically said, ‘We’re not going to let anything keep us from doing what we set out to do.’”
Lady Lakers Finish Allegany Rally
Allegany College of Maryland responded in the third set and built a 19-15 lead. Gilbert said Garrett College lost focus early in the set, while Campbell said the Lady Lakers eventually regained their composure.
“It’s real hard when you win the first two sets by that much to stay focused,” Campbell said. “We totally lost focus, but we hung around long enough to get it close until we got our focus back. Then we played our brand of volleyball at the end.”
Chloe DeBlock gave Allegany College of Maryland a 23-22 lead with a kill, but Carly Sowers served into the net to create a 23-23 tie. Gilbert and Barrios followed with consecutive kills to complete Garrett College’s 10-3 closing run and secure the three-set victory.
Olivia Bartlett contributed four kills, including a middle kill during the closing run, and Madison Sypolt added three kills. Gilbert said the Lady Lakers also drew motivation from injured freshmen Isabella Keneally and Shayla Thomas.
“We wanted to win it for our two teammates out with injuries,” Gilbert said, referencing Keneally and Thomas. “We just pushed as a team to get it for them.”
Garrett College Women’s Volleyball Advances to Quarterfinal
Garrett College will play top-seeded WVU Potomac State College at 10 a.m. Saturday in the first of four NJCAA Division II Region 20 quarterfinals at Cecil College. WVU Potomac State College is 17-1 and defeated Garrett College 25-20, 25-15, 25-14 during the regular season.
“We’re excited to play Potomac State,” Campbell said. “That was our first match of the year with a brand-new coach and eight new players. We’re kind of excited to see where we’ve come this year.”
The winner of the Garrett College-WVU Potomac State College quarterfinal will play in Sunday’s 10 a.m. semifinal. The other quarterfinals are Frederick Community College against Howard Community College at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Cecil College against College of Southern Maryland at 12:30 p.m. and Montgomery College against Hagerstown Community College at 3 p.m.
The regional finals are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Garrett College Women’s Volleyball controlled the first two sets and recovered from Allegany College of Maryland’s third-set rally to reach the Region 20 quarterfinals. Gilbert’s nine kills and 12 digs, Barrios’ eight kills and 10 digs, and Holloway-Powers’ 16 assists led the Lady Lakers into Saturday’s matchup with WVU Potomac State College.
Source: Original report
