Tag: Friar Sports
Tennis Begins Season
by The Cowl Editor on September 26, 2019
Sports
Migliorini and Magliochetti Shine in First Tournament
By Marc DeMartis ’21
Sports Staff
Starting on Sept. 13, The Providence College Tennis Team was in Hamden, Connecticut to play in the Quinnipiac Invitational Tournament. There was plenty of talent present with competitive teams such as the United States Military Academy at West Point, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, Boston University, Bryant University, Quinnipiac University, and the University of Connecticut all in attendance.
The Friars came out strong with four out of the five new freshmen earning their first wins of their college careers.
Brenna Magliochetti ’23 won the last match of the day and said, although she was nervous, “Everyone was watching and cheering and it was just such a great atmosphere.”
Looking forward, the Friars will be hosting their first tournament of the year this coming weekend where they look to keep their momentum going into the season.
Regarding the expectations for the year, Magliochetti said, “I think we are going to have a great year. Our team is really young and hungry so we’re going to be working hard. One of our biggest goals this year is to win a Big East Conference match so hopefully we can make that happen.”
As Magliochetti said, the Friars are a young team. More than half of the team is made up of freshmen, with five out of the nine total players being new to the team this year.
With the talent that Magliochetti has, she spoke as to why she decided to commit to PC over the other schools who had given her offers. She explained, “I chose the team here at PC because I love the chemistry and commitment of the team and coaches. There’s just a really great feeling of family here, not just on the team but all around campus.”
The Friar Family atmosphere here at PC continues to attract great athletes and better students every year. With that being said, there is a lot to look forward to this season, especially with all of the new faces on the team who are just getting their careers started.
Not only does Magliochetti appear to have a promising future for the Friars, but her fellow teammate Julia Migliorini ’23 shined in her college debut as well. She went undefeated in all three of the matches she played. With new members of the team already becoming contributors early on in the season, there is a lot to be excited about in Friartown. As mentioned previously, you can watch the tennis team take on several other schools this weekend on Saturday, September 28.
PC Welcomes New Club Sports To Campus
by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019
Sports
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
Providence College has been known for its Division I sports teams for the past several decades. Many students make their decisions to attend PC because they want to be a fan in the crowd cheering on the men’s basketball team or chanting “yes!” in the middle of the student section at a Friday night hockey game. There is something about competitive sports that brings people together and adds to the college experience.
For some, watching people play sports does not quite cut it. Those who were high school athletes may be itching to play the sport they love for just a while longer. PC’s club sports program invites students of all grades to competitively play a sport, representing the Friars on the field.
A few club sports teams have grabbed the attention of the student body. Women’s club lacrosse was founded in 2015 and quickly became Division Champions of the East in 2016 and 2017. Men’s hockey is another veteran club, which has won the Governor Cup several times over the past couple of years.
John Buckley ’20, president and captain of the defending Division II Men’s Club Lacrosse National Championship team, is a perfect example of how club sports can positively impact life at PC. Buckley says, “I am very grateful for the memories I made while playing lacrosse competitively with my teammates. As we get ready to start the new season, the team is excited for the new challenge of being defending champions.”
A championship title has to start somewhere and luckily at PC it is not difficult to start a new club team. A group of interested athletes who are willing to put in the work to start the process is enough. Once there is enough interest for a certain sport, PC club sports director Chris Schmidt will help you along the path towards creating an official team competing against other schools.
Over the past year, club sports have continued to grow; three new sports have been added to the list of teams: field hockey, women’s ice hockey, and women’s softball. “Expansion is important because it allows our program to serve more students. Overall, the club sports program has more than doubled in size over the last six years,” Schmidt says.
Now there are over 20 club sports available, some more competitive than others. Men’s and women’s soccer are teams that call for tryouts, while racquetball, running, and sailing are open for beginners.
When creating the team, Schmidt wants the students to become the leaders. He knows it takes a lot of work, but students are learning the behind-the-scenes finances, scheduling, and logistics of creating and maintaining a team.
Last year, field hockey became an official club sport and Julia Crowley ’20 said it was definitely worth the effort she and her teammates put in over the past couple of years. Crowley said, “The upperclassmen have been with this team since freshman year and we were so excited to greet the incoming freshmen this fall with an official club. The freshmen are so passionate about this sport, which makes all our hard work worth it.” Meeting other students who share the love of field hockey helps make not only freshman year better, but the whole college experience better.
Jasmine Gaudreau ’20 is familiar with the feeling of gratitude for a club sports team at PC. Ever since freshman year, Gaudreau has hoped that there would someday be a women’s club ice hockey team at PC. This upcoming season, Gaudreau is proud to say that she is the captain of a full team roster competing in a season of 15 games. She said, “This past week we had tryouts and I couldn’t be more excited about the season. I can’t wait to play my senior year with girls who enjoy hockey as much as I do.” The addition of a women’s club ice hockey team makes for a better year for not only Gaudreau, but for the three other seniors on the team as well.
Women’s softball was the third team this year to join the list of new club sports. They have successfully hosted tryouts and already have a fall schedule ahead of them. Mia Gheduzzi ’21 is excited to play her favorite sport in the middle of the campus at Glay Field, and thinks this new team will bring an opportunity for her classmates to not only participate, but also enjoy watching.
According to Schmidt, about 15 percent of the undergraduate population participates in club sports, and the numbers are only rising. In order to keep up with the increasing participants, the Club Sports Council has been created in order to assist teams with the ongoing process of maintaining a club sport. Matt Carlson ’20, a new member of the executive board, says, “It is great to see so many people still so eager to play the sport they loved in high school. I am glad I get to help improve the Club Sports Council and provide a good base for club sports for years to come.”
Friars Beat Harvard 1-0
by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019
Sports
Captain Tiago Mendoca ’20RS Nets Game-Winner at Home
By Scott Jarosz ’21
Sports Staff
The Providence College Men’s Soccer Team hosted the Pioneers of Sacred Heart University this past Saturday at Anderson Stadium. The Pioneers entered Saturday’s contest with a record of 1-3 and were coming off their first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over Saint Peter’s University. The Friars, on the other hand, entered Saturday’s game with a record of 2-2, coming off a 2-1 loss at the University of Rhode Island.
PC wasted no time against SHU on Saturday afternoon, as Davis Smith ’21 headed a cross past the outstretched arms of the SHU goalkeeper and into the back of the net to make the score 1-0 in the sixth minute of the game.
PC did not stop there, as Andualem Chisholm ’22 chipped a goal past the keeper before halftime to extend the lead to 2-0. PC continued its success into the second half as Danny Griffin ’20 scored on a penalty kick to increase the home team’s lead to 3-0.
To cap things off for the Friars, Kevin Vang ’22 curled a left-footed shot past SHU’s goalkeeper to score his first career goal for PC in the 81st minute on a sharp assist by Matt DePerro ’21.
That was the last of the scoring for PC. The team beat SHU 4-0 to improve its record to 3-2.
The Friars looked to carry momentum from its victory over SHU into Monday’s contest against the Crimson of Harvard University.
The Crimson came into Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium on Monday with a record of 0-3, having previously lost to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Duke University, and the University of Vermont.
Despite Harvard’s recent struggles, they put up a good fight against PC from the early stages of the game. The game started off back and forth between the two teams, with neither team dominating possession or even finding the back of the net.
The 0-0 score finally changed in the 21st minute of the match when Smith and Chisholm assisted Tiago Mendonca ‘20 RS, who unleashed a powerful one-time strike into the back of the net to give PC a 1-0 lead over Harvard.
From this point on, PC maintained a calm and collected play style and controlled possession while also making an effort to keep up its offensive attack. PC ended the game with a total of 27 shots compared to just five shots for the Crimson. PC also earned eight corner kicks compared to three for the Crimson. Even though the Friars controlled the majority of the game, the Crimson kept the game tight for the full 90 minutes thanks in part to goalkeeper Oskar Nilsson, who made six outstanding saves to keep his team within striking distance. However, Harvard was unable to break through and PC earned the 1-0 victory.
PC now looks ahead to Friday, when it opens Big East play at home against Seton Hall University at 7 p.m. at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium.
PC Competes In Friar Volleyball Classic
by The Cowl Editor on September 19, 2019
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.