In the last stretch of their season, the Quinnipiac volleyball team laid down a new foundation after defeating MAAC champions, Fairfield. The win for the Bobcats was a first in the team’s program history, giving the players a new perspective on their potential in the up-coming MAAC tournament. With all the boundaries broken, Quinnipiac must cover all their ground to get over the last group of opponents if they plan to go far in the MAAC tournament.
On Saturday, November 3, Quinnipiac hosts Marist. The last time the two teams faced, Quinnipiac lost 1-3. And when Marist met earlier with Fairfield, Marist fell victim 3-0.
So – in order for Quinnipiac to finish their regular season play strong, here’s how the team will work their way from the ground up:
Down to dig: Alejandra Rodriguez is Quinnipiac’s star defender. The junior libero works with Lauren Miller, a junior defensive specialist, to get the team on its offense. This season, the pair has 397 combined digs, and Rodriguez claims 281 of those. On average, that’s 17 digs a match. Without these platforms, the ball wouldn’t find its second touch at the setter’s spot.
The setter’s spot: None other than Maria Pansari. She is the team’s quarterback; choosing her receiver and giving the ball air. A soft touch with the right tempo will give the team’s best chance at a successful attack. Against Marist, Pansari quickly needs to find the holes in the opponent’s block and send the ball far from those spots. As a third-year starter, the veteran knows how to do her job and do it well.
On the net: The strongest attackers for QU are Kat Miller and Morgan Sherwin. Both hitters swing lefty and can swing from anywhere on the court. If Miller and Sherwin can call sets away from the usual spots, then they can offset Marist and find holes in their defense; surprise middle hits, quick shoots to the outside and slides should be a part of QU’s offense to win over Marist.
Be sure join Katie O’Keefe on the call for QBSN at quinnipiacbobcats.com. The game begins at 1 p.m. For updates, follow @QBSN on Twitter.
