Tag: Friar Sports
PC Competes In Friar Volleyball Classic
by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Go 2-1; Lose to Brown in Final Game
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
From Friday, September 13, to Sunday, September 15, Providence College hosted its 15th Annual Friar Volleyball Classic. This year the College hosted Fairleigh Dickinson University, Coppin State University, and Rhode Island’s own Brown University.
Last season PC won the tournament, so the pressure was on for the Friars as they prepared for the first game against FDU, especially with the loss of four key seniors from last year. Senior Jenae Alderson ’20, who recently made a spot in the Big East Honor Roll, stated that the team wanted to strengthen their identity and figure out a solid game plan for the upcoming season.
In the first game of the tournament, the Friars faced the FDU Knights, and swept the match, 3-0, snatching a total of 51 kills, 50 blocks, and 64 digs. Jennifer Leitman ’23 led the match with 15 kills, while Allie Barber ’21 had to most assists with 43. The match allowed the Friars to show their strengths in the tournament.
The next match saw the Friars against the Coppin State Eagles, who had previously lost to Brown, 0-3. After dropping the first set 21-25, the Friars quickly turned things around to win the next three sets and notch their second win of the weekend.
The Friars outscored Coppin State 68 points to 47 points. PC’s offense outperformed the Eagles by a wide margin, getting 51 kills to the Eagles’ 36, and 46 assists to 32. Addison Root ’20 led the game with 14 kills and Barber led the game with 39 assists.
The table was now set for the Friars’ final match against Brown University, who also went 2-0 in the classic leading up to the final game.
The first set belonged to Brown, while the second and third went to PC; however, the last two sets belonged to Brown as they defeated PC 3-2. Though Brown ultimately won, the stats for the Friars kept their spirits high, especially with Root and Barber once again leading in kills and in assists.
Alderson called the game a learning experience, citing how she now believes the team has what it takes to form a chemistry that will lead them into the spotlight for the upcoming Big East season. Alderson also mentioned how she was looking forward to surprising everyone this season and molding the raw potential that she and the team have to make strides this season.
”It has been fun experience so far to teach the newbies the game I was taught,” said Alderson. “And being their mentor, the way the former classes taught me, and in a way the newbies are teaching me a thing or two also.”
Up next for the Friars is the 2019 Dog Pound Challenge where PC will face off against Dartmouth University, the College of the Holy Cross, and tincoming Big East member the University of Connecticut. This will be an important game, as it presents a chance to show off what they can do to their rivals.
The team is ready for the spotlight, has found the identity it has been searching for all preseason, and is ready to show other teams that the Friars will be a tough opponent every match.
Swim Team Raises Money for Swim Across America
by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
Before the start of the 2019-2020 season, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams joined colleges all over the northeast to raise money for cancer research at Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island as a part of the 10th Annual Swim Across America (SAA) event.
In the ten years that SAA has taken place in Rhode Island, it has grown into one of the largest SAA events in the country.
Providence College Swimming and Diving Head Coach, John O’Neill, who is on the board for SAA-RI, said, “It’s extraordinary to think how important this swim has become to all those whose families are impacted by cancer.”
SAA was founded in 1985 as a sequel event to Run Across America. The first swim took place in 1987 in Nantucket, MA. Since then, SAA holds 20 open water benefits across the country and 100 annual pool swims. The overall mission of SAA is to “unite the swimming community by hosting benefit swims that raise money to fund life-saving cancer research and clinical trials.”
This year’s event, which was to be held at Roger Wheeler Beach in Narragansett, RI, had to be cancelled due to four to six foot swells and rip currents caused by Hurricane Dorian. However, the teams involved were still able to raise over $200,000 in donations.
PC raised the most money out of the 10 schools involved with a total of $34,407. PC swimmer Parker Cramer ’21 raised a total of $3,800, the third highest amount for the entire event and the most out of all PC athletes involved. In the 10 years that PC has been involved in the event, the swim team has raised over $220,000.
“We can all take pride as our event has topped the one million dollar mark for funds raised,” O’Neill said on the money raised for Women and Infants Hospital, one of the largest oncology services for women in the northeast.
Men’s Soccer Picks Up First Road Victory
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Look to Get Back on Track at Home vs. Sacred Heart
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Assistant Editor
The Providence College Men’s Soccer Team went on the road for the first time last Friday night, traveling to the State University of New York at Albany for a tilt against a gritty Great Danes squad. The result: a solid 1-0 road victory for the Friars.
PC dominated the first half, although the score remained tied when the halftime buzzer sounded. The Friars dominated possession, putting together some great link-up play that netted several good chances on goal. In total, PC outshot the Great Danes four to one in the half, never letting the opposing squad get a good look on net.
The Friars were quick out of the gate in the second half, putting pressure on the UAlbany defense almost immediately. That pressure resulted in the first and only goal of the night in the 49th minute when Trevor Davock ’20 RS slotted a shot past the UAlbany keeper from the top right-hand corner of the box. He was assisted by Esben Wolf ’23, who made a great pass up the right wing to find Davock in scoring position.
The next 25 minutes were more of the same for PC, as solid passing and a stout defense kept the ball in UAlbany’s half of the field. Momentum did pick-up at the 75-minute mark for the Great Danes when PC was assessed a yellow card right outside of the box. However, the Friars defense easily blocked and sent away the free kick that followed.
For the rest of the match UAlbany was on their front foot, having the edge in possession for the first time. However, the PC backline continued to turn them back as the Friars defense excelled at blocking any potential shots on net.
The Great Danes’ best scoring chance of the night came off of a corner kick in the 88th minute. The initial kick connected with the Great Dane’s Alex Bourgeois head, causing the ball to barely miss the net as it ricocheted off the crossbar. The rebound came right back out to Sam Philip, who scorched a shot on net, but was met with the save of the night by PC keeper Austin Aviza ’20 RS. Aviza dove to his right to make the tremendous save, successfully clinching the one goal victory.
Aviza ended the night with two saves and zero goals against, seeming to have found his groove with his new team. On the offensive side, Davock had three total shots to go along with his second goal of the season. Danny Griffin ’20, also had a great performance on the offensive end, racking up four shots while showing off his impressive footwork.
Defensively, the entire backline played a very solid game, but Malcolm Duncan ’21 particularly stood out. He continually turned away the Great Dane attack and prevented any sort of link-up play between the opposing squad’s forwards and midfield.
After a successful trip to New York, the Friars made it back to their home state to take on the University of Rhode Island in South Kingston on Sept. 9. The game flow went PC’s way, as they peppered the Rams keeper with 21 shots. Unfortunately, only one of those shots found the back of the net. Joao Serrano ’20 RS produced the lone Friar goal off a penalty kick in the 60th minute. The Rams on the other hand were able to work two goals on the night, giving them a 2-1 victory over their interstate rival.
Up next for PC is a Sept. 14 matchup against Sacred Heart University at Chapey Field. The game will be the first in an important four-game homestand for the Friars.
Men’s Club Rugby Opens Season
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Friar Sports
The Black Pack Ready for a Dominant Season
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Rugby Team started its season off on the right foot against the College of the Holy Cross on Friday, September 6. PC was firing on all cylinders in the 37-22 defeat of the talented Crusaders. The team hopes their strong performance is a sign of what is to come in the new season.
Despite a less than stellar record of 2-5 last season, the team showed few signs of struggle in its home opener for the 2019 fall season.
Joe Bentley ’21 got PC off to a hot start under the lights on Friday night as he scored a try early on to make the score 5-0. The team continued to build on that early momentum as it scored again to increase its lead to 12-0 over the visitors.
However, Holy Cross refused to allow PC to control the game and answered back shortly after. The visiting team scored back-to-back tries to cut PC’s lead to 12-10. But the home side managed to bounce back and added another try to make the score 17-10 heading into halftime.
PC did not lose this momentum coming out of the half and made sure that the lead stayed in their hands. The team outscored the visiting side by a score of 20-7 in the second half.
There were a number of key contributing players for PC in the second half including Alex Feola ’22 and Anthony Lancia ’22. Feola scored two tries while Lancia added one try.
PC’s dominant performance against Holy Cross could be a sign of what is to come for the team in this new season. Not only did the veterans of the team contribute, such as Bentley, but younger players such as Feola and Lancia also made their mark and helped the team secure a victory over a talented opponent.
If the team can consistently get contributions from both veterans and younger players throughout the season, there is good reason to believe that they will continue to have success for the remainder of the season.
Bentley is one of the more experienced players on the team. He has been a forward since his freshman year.
When asked what he believes the strengths of this year’s team are, Bentley said, “I definitely think our strengths are our new strong forwards and our fast backs.”
He continued, “Over the summer, we trained the hardest we have since I’ve been playing for this team.”
Bentley emphasized the amount of training that everyone on the team put in over the offseason. He believes this is what is truly going to allow this team to have one of its most successful seasons in a long time.
When asked what he believes the team needs to do in order to have the most successful season possible, he responded, “We need to focus on the system that our coach has set up for us and not stray from it.”
With plenty of new talent and the high level of training that the team put in over the offseason, the Black Pack is looking forward to a promising season.
Cross Country Teams Ready For New Seasons
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
The time has come for the Providence College Men’s Cross Country Team to show that they are just as strong of a team as their female counterparts have been the last couple of years.
“They’re going to have a very good year this year I think,” Providence College Women’s Cross Country Team member Abbey Wheeler ’20 said. “They were kind of in the position we are in now last year. The group of junior boys now remind me of the group of freshmen girls now.”
The boys that Wheeler is talking about includes Marcelo Rocha ’21, who finished first in the team’s first dual meet of the season against the University of New Hampshire. The men’s team placed first, while the women placed third. Rocha, who was the 2016 Massachusetts Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year, finished 35th at last year’s Big East Championship.
The men’s team had runners place in the top 10 out of 11 spots, with a mess of sophomores and juniors taking third through eleventh place.
“They have a lot of depth,” commented Wheeler, who also placed first at the UNH Dual Meet. “I’m excited to see how far we can take it this year.”
While the men are already showing their promise for a great season, especially after coming off of a few building years, the women are entering a year of regrowth.
Having graduated eight seniors and graduate students over the past two years and losing top talent like Millie Paladino ’18 and Catarina Rocha ’18, both of whom have had outstanding seasons with PC, is placing the team in what Wheeler refers to as a rebuilding year.
“The team is a bit different from past years where we have had upperclassmen return with all-star records behind them. This year, the majority of the team will be either freshmen or people that are relatively new to running,” Wheeler said. The women’s team has been collecting a number of championship titles, both individually and collectively over the course of Wheeler’s time in the program.
Admitting that the team’s 2016 Big East Championship win will be a hard memory to beat in her career as a Friar, Wheeler adds that on the upcoming season is, “kind of a building year, which is really exciting.”
One runner who is new to both PC and running is Orla O’Connor ’23, a native from Waterford, Ireland who set the Irish under-20 record in the 10,000 meter race walk at the European under-20 Championships.
O’Connor is one of the six freshmen on the women’s 14-member roster this year. She is joined by Ireland native Alexandra O’Neill ’23 and Wellington, New Zealand native Tessa Hunt ’23, all who have chosen the College based on both teams’ head coach, Ray Treacy.
“He’s the reason why I came here…and that’s why a lot of the other girls come here—to be coached by him,” Wheeler said.
A coach at PC for over 30 years, Treacy’s goal for the team is to improve as much as they can individually and as a team, and to finish better than when they started.
Of course, as Wheeler points out, the season will not be easy for their rebuilding team, and with the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown coming up on Sept. 20, the team will get their first real chance to see where everyone’s legs are.
“[Beantown] is the second biggest meet we’re going to face before championship season,” Wheeler said. Second to the Wisconsin Invitational, the Battle in Beantown will feature men’s and women’s teams from all over the country.
Wheeler, who won the event last year and is just hoping to have “another good run” this year, said that the team has “put in a lot of good training.”
Individually, Wheeler is just hoping to make it back to Nationals after coming up short last season. As a team, she wants to see just how far they can make it.
“We’re just really hoping to finish the season healthy and with some good showing,” said Wheeler.
Field Hockey on an Early Season Roll
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Friar Sports
Friars Upset #24 University of Maine
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
As the field hockey season is finally underway, it is common to focus on the seniors of the team. Will they be able to step out of their underclassmen shoes and fill the leadership positions?
Not only are they the players the rest of the team looks up to, they also have to play knowing this will be their last season at Providence College.
In particular, Kara Sanford ’20 is working hard to make this season the best one yet.
“This year I believe we have a really strong team,” said Sanford. “From the very start of preseason the girls were working hard and treating every practice like it were a game. I think the reason we’ve been so successful thus far is because everyone is on the same page and we’re all doing whatever we can to be better than we were the day before.”
With a tough schedule ahead of them, the team knew they had to put in work during the preseason. Head Coach Diane Madl, who has 17 years of experience coaching the Providence College Field Hockey Team, helped train her team in the months before the start of the school year.
The first game of the season was hosted by PC and was a matchup between the Friars and the Eagles of Boston College. Although PC struck first, Boston College tied the game in the second quarter. After a competitive first half, the Eagles took the lead with a quick goal. The Friars had several chances, but the game ended as a 2-1 victory for the Eagles.
With the first game under their belt, PC was ready to take on their next opponent in Maine. 24th-ranked Maine made the Friars work for their first win of the season in an overtime 5-4 victory. This win gave the Friars an energy boost that would last all the way until the next weekend, where they faced two fellow Rhode Island rivals, Brown University and Bryant University.
Goalie Lydia Rice ‘19GS picked up two shutout wins on the weekend as the Friars beat Bryant 2-0. Sanford played an important role during the game versus Brown, scoring two back-to-back goals for the Friars in less than three minutes to give PC the 3-0 win.
Sanford admitted, “It felt great to score those two goals.” She was quick to recognize the work her teammates put in to help make it happen.
“I think those two goals got us all fired up to the point where we were ready to dominate the rest of the game, even more than we were before.” Sanford also acknowledged her team’s impressive performance and said she hopes they will carry it into the upcoming games as well.
Despite the long road ahead of them, the Friars have given us a sneak peek into a successful season. Sanford is already looking forward to facing teams they have lost to in past years, including the University of Connecticut and Liberty University. Their next home game will be on Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. against Old Dominion University.
Women’s Volleyball Travel for First Tournament of the Season
by The Cowl Editor on September 12, 2019
Friar Sports
Alderson Leads Offense for Friars
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
In their first tournament of the season, the Providence College Women’s Volleyball Team had a tough past weekend in Morehead, Kentucky. Playing in the 2019 Morehead State Eagle Challenge, the Friars went 1-2 in three games, picking up their lone win over Presbyterian College, three sets to zero.
The team was originally supposed to play in the Puerto Rico Clasico to begin their season, but their trip was canceled due to Hurricane Dorian. Instead, the team played two games in Virginia and one at home, going 2-1 to start the season.
In the first game of the tournament, the Friars played Georgia State University. The Panthers would beat the Friars in four sets, each one being decided by two points. Jennifer Leitman ’23 and Addison Root ’20 were the only Friars with double-digit kills with 12 and 10, respectively. The loss brought the Friars to 2-2 on the season.
In their second game of the day, the Friars pulled out a win over the Presbyterian Blue Hose, winning easily in straight sets. It would be PC’s only win of the weekend, but the performance shows Head Coach Margot Royer-Johnson the team’s potential for the season.
“We matched up really well against Presbyterian,” said Royer-Johnson. “We were the stronger team and had a good game.”
The Friars had their best kill percentage as a team, connecting on 28 percent of their attempts. The Friars played a much cleaner game than Presbyterian, highlighted by only 12 attack errors compared to 24 for the Blue Hose.
Unfortunately, the Friars could not build on their momentum as they fell to Morehead State University in three sets. It was a tough matchup for the Friars as the Eagles had a solid defensive game, keeping the Friars under 20 points in each set.
Allison Barber ’21 also had a solid weekend for the Friars during which she was named to the All-Tournament Team. The setter recorded double-digit assists and digs in the first two games, accumulating 87 digs in the entire tournament. Her connection with Jenae Alderson ’20 was a highlight of the tournament for the Friars as both players had a successful weekend that will be crucial going forward.
Alderson was one of the best offensive players for the Friars. The fourth-year starter had kill percentages of 40, 50, and 69.2 in the three games, leading the team in each contest. Afterwards, Royer-Johnson called Alderson “our most athletic player this weekend.”
While the Friars did not do as well as they had hoped for, the team has plenty of talent moving forward to be competitive once they get into the heart of their schedule. The key for them is getting out of what Royer-Johnson calls “mental holes.”
“We are still adjusting our lineups as we used a lot of young players this weekend. We are a physically gifted team, but we are young in terms of experience,” says Royer-Johnson
The Friars will have a chance to regroup this weekend as they host the 15th Annual Friar Volleyball Classic. Last season, the Friars went undefeated in the tournament, winning three games including a big win over cross-town rival Brown University in the final game.
Men’s and Women’s Soccer Preview
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
Friar Sports
Soccer Teams Look to Break through to Finals
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Last fall, the Providence College Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams both made it to their respective Big East Tournaments. The men cruised in as the third seed while the women snuck in as the sixth seed. Unfortunately, both teams lost in the semifinals: men to second-seed Georgetown University and the women to Butler University, who was also the second-seed.
This year, both squads were predicted to finish third based on the Big East Coaches’ Poll. There will be a new face in net for the men as Colin Miller ’18RS, former Goalkeeper of the Year, graduated while Shelby Hogan ’20RS will once again return for the women.
Last season, the men started their season with a huge upset over No. 8 Southern Methodist University. The Friars pulled out the 2-1 win after playing two overtimes that ended in the 104th minute thanks to a game-winning goal by Alex DaCosta ’19. The Friars would go on to dominate their Big East schedule with a record of 6-2-1 that would be good enough for a tie for the second best record in the league.
Fast forward to this year, Austin Aviza ’20RS will be tasked with holding down the net for the Friars who return most of their core from the previous season. This will be Aviza’s first season at PC after transferring from the University of Connecticut in the spring. He began his college career at Syracuse University for two seasons before transferring to Connecticut in 2017. In 2018, he recorded a 1.03 Goals Against Average (GAA) while also achieving five shutouts.
With a strong defensive core returning, Head Coach Craig Stewart will switch the team’s formation from four guys on the back line to three, with the hope this will create more scoring opportunities for a team that has struggled to score. Ramzi Qawasmy ’22 will anchor the line after being named to the Big East All-Freshman Team last season.
With no true striker on the team, the Friars will have to take on a scoring by committee approach to find the back of the net. Last year, no Friars scored more than five goals and only three players scored three or more goals.
“The big key for us this year is finishing our opportunities in the offensive third of the field,” said student manager Graham Collopy ’21. “In our two scrimmages we have created multiple scoring chances, but haven’t always cashed in.”
Luckily, the team does return Tiago Mendonca ’19RS, last season’s top scorer, who was the only Friar named to the Preseason All-Big East Team this year. He will be tasked with leading the team on offense and improve on his five goals last season.
Georgetown and Creighton University are also expected to compete for the Big East title. The Hoyas and Blue Jays were predicted to finish first and second in the league respectively. Any win against Georgetown would be a boost for the Friars trying to make a bid for the NCAA Tournament. The Hoyas are currently ranked 13th in the United Soccer Coaches’ Poll.
The Friars will begin their season at home on Friday, August 30 against the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
The women last year played a tough nonconference schedule that featured three Power-Five Conference schools. The Friars were nearly unbeatable at home, going 8-1-0.
This year, Head Coach Sam Lopes returns for his sixth season with the Friars. He has found incredible success at the College as he has gotten the team into the Big East Playoffs every year.
Hogan returns to Chapey Field for her third season with the Friars. Last season, she was named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll five times. Her 0.77 GAA ranked third in the entire conference.
The team has already played two games in 2019, finding their record at 1-1-0 with a win over Connecticut in their season opener. Hogan has made a total of nine saves and allowed a goal in each game.
The offense will once again be strong as Hannah McNulty ’21 and Amber Birchwell ’21, the team’s top two goal scorers in 2018, return to the pitch hoping to bring the Friars to the championship. McNulty was named to the All-Big East Second Team after leading the Friars in goals and points.
There will also be a familiar face on the coaching staff this season. Former Friar Katie Day ’19 will join the staff as a graduate assistant. Day was named to the All-Big East Team twice during her career at PC.
Looking around the league, Georgetown and Butler will once again be poised to compete for the top of the standings.
The women are slated two teams ranked in the top 25 in the United Coaches Poll. Georgtown is once again ranked 13th and the University of Texas at Austin is placed at 24th.
With two solid cores set in place this fall, both soccer teams have the experience and talent to compete for the Big East Championship and bring a title back to Chapey Field.
Former Friars Ready to Go Pro
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
Friar Sports
Six Players Sign Entry-Level Contracts
By Cam Smith ’21
Sports Assistant Editor
The success of the Providence College hockey programs continued over the offseason as six former Friars signed professional hockey deals. Four of these came from former men’s squad members, as Josh Wilkins, Brandon Duhaime, Kasper Björkqvist, and Jacob Bryson who secured entry-level deals with National Hockey League clubs.
Two contracts went to former women’s team players Christina Putigna and Cassidy MacPherson; both reached terms to join teams in the National Women’s Hockey League.
Wilkins will make his way down to Tennessee, joining the Nashville Predators’ program on a two-year, entry-level contract. The silky-smooth forward is coming off an absolutely dominant year for the Friars, posting the best offensive season by a PC skater in over 15 seasons. Wilkins put up 46 points last season, good enough for ninth in the entire country, on 20 goals and 26 assists. He also owned the nation’s longest point streak last season, putting together a stretch of 13 straight games.
Duhaime agreed to his two-year, entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild. The crafty forward joins a Minnesota program that selected him with the 106th pick of the 2016 NHL Draft. Duhaime had a strong final season in Friartown, tallying a career-high 34 points with 11 goals and 23 assists. As a result, he was named to the Team Hockey East All-Star Third team. He then proceeded to play a pivotal role in the Friars’ postseason run, tallying five points in PC’s three tournament games.
The Pittsburgh Penguins will see Björkqvist join the organization, as he too agreed to a two-year, entry level deal. The forward finished his illustrious PC career with 36 total goals and 26 assists. Pittsburgh assistant general manager Bill Guerin had high praise when asked about the signee, saying, “Kasper was able to produce in big games throughout his college career… playing for an outstanding program in Providence allowed him to go far in the NCAA Tournament each season, so he received a lot of great experience.”
The 99th pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, Bryson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Buffalo Sabres. The sure-footed defenseman amassed an astonishing 73 points over his career at PC, recording 11 goals and 62 assists. In his final year with the Friars, Bryson dished out 24 assists on his way to Second Team Hockey East All-Star honors.
His dominance on the ice also translated over to the classroom, as the defenseman was a Chi Alpha Sigma inductee, an honor given to student-athletes who maintain at least a 3.40 grade point average though their first five semesters.
Putigna will be staying in New England, as she agreed to a contract with the Boston Pride. The Pride will be picking up a prolific scorer in Putigna, the star forward accumulated a whopping 110 points in her collegiate career. As a senior assistant captain last season, Putigna registered 15 goals and 15 assists while leading the Friars to the Hockey East semi-finals.
“It’s exciting and humbling to have this opportunity to sign with the Pride,” said Putigna. “It means a lot to me to get the chance to remain in New England and pursue my hockey career.”
The final Friar to sign, MacPherson, signed her deal with the Buffalo Beauts. The forward recorded 78 points in her college career, netting 25 goals and 53 assists.
Beauts head coach Pete Perram lauded MacPherson’s skill with the puck, saying “[MacPherson] is a smooth and speedy skater with exceptional hands.”
MacPherson expressed her excitement with her signing, saying, “It has been a dream of mine to play in the NWHL, and I’m looking forward to a great season ahead in Buffalo.”
New Faces Show Promise for Volleyball Team
by The Cowl Editor on August 29, 2019
Friar Sports
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
After finishing the 2018 season with an overall record of 8-21 and a 2-16 record in Big East Conference play, the Providence College Women’s Volleyball Team will be looking to make improvements leading up to the 2019 season.
The team’s 2018 campaign ended on a particularly sour note when the Friars lost their last seven matches of the season. In addition to the team ending the season on a cold stretch, it also graduated four seniors: Megan Onyundo ’19, Allison Impellizeri ‘19, Kara Mason ’19, and Catherine Harding ’19. Being without these four key players certainly brings about numerous challenges for the Friars; however, changes to the coaching staff as well as numerous additions to the roster give reason to believe that this year’s team has a real chance to improve upon last season’s shortcomings.
On Mar. 18, women’s volleyball head coach Margot Royer-Johnson announced that Richard Gomes Jr. would join the staff as an assistant coach. Royer-Johnson had kind words to say about Gomes Jr. as well as how she expected him to contribute to the team.
Royer-Johnson stated, “Richie is a great new addition to the staff. He is a highly skilled and knowledgeable coach. His enthusiasm and passion for the sport is what drew our staff and team to him. We are excited to move forward with him, as we know his passion will not only make us better but also enrich our experience both on and off the court.”
Gomes’ previous head coaching experience provides even more reason to believe that he will be a valuable asset to the staff and the team. Prior to PC, Gomes served as the head coach for the Bridgewater State University Women’s Volleyball Team.
In addition to Gomes being named assistant coach, the 2019 team will also feature a strong freshman class consisting of seven players.
Two players from this class signed their National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play at PC back in November. Emma Nelson ’23 is one such player. Listed at 6’1”, she is an outside hitter who Royer-Johnson described as a “strong all-around player.” The other player from this class who signed her NLI in 2018 is Sasha Rudich ’23, a middle blocker who captained her high school team.
Alongside Nelson and Rudich, the Friars are also welcoming Brielle Mullally ’23, a setter who was named to the 2018 Silver Medal Far Western Qualifier (17 Open) and won the CIFSS Division I Championship, Queen’s Court Championship, and Dave Mohs Championship with her high school.
On Mullally, Royer-Johnson said that she is a “super skilled setter” with defensive and hitting skills that will “make her an all-around threat.”
Mullally is joined by club teammate Jennifer Leitman ’23. According to Royer-Johnson, she has “great chemistry with Brielle” and “brings a great offensive threat…from both the front and back row out of the outside position.”
With a number of quality returning players, the addition of Richard Gomes Jr. as assistant coach, and a strong incoming freshman class, the Providence College Women’s Volleyball team looks ready to have a highly successful 2019 campaign.