by The Cowl Editor on November 15, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
On Sunday, November 11, Catherine Harding ’19, Allison Impellizeri ’19, Kara Mason ’19, and Megan Onyundo ’19 took the court in Mullaney Gymnasium one last time for their final home game for the Providence College Women’s Volleyball Team against Big East rival Georgetown University. Although the game was spoiled by the Hoyas’ victory in a 3-2 match, nothing was able to ruin the moment in store for all four seniors.
After falling 22-25 and 23-25 in the first two sets of the match, the Friars bounced back by winning the next two sets 25-22, 25-20. Unfortunately, momentum brought by each member of the team and the crowd was not enough to help secure the victory, as Georgetown finished set five with a 15-12 victory.
Impellizeri was the leader of the Friars’ offense with 20 kills, besting her previous career high of 18 kills. Allison Barber ’21 also led the team in 48 assists throughout the match.
Onyundo and Addison Root ’20 were able to provide the Friars with a defensive effort of 11 and 10 digs, respectively. Root and Lindsey Schaible ’20 each had two of the team’s five aces.
For Onyundo, this moment was more than just volleyball. “It was closing a great journey in my life,” stated Onyundo, “I have always wanted to play Division 1 sports and this was the end of me achieving my goal. This game meant a lot to me because all my friends and family were able to see me play one last time at home, after supporting me through countless hours of games and scrimmages.”
For Cayla Veverka ’20, the seniors were much more than teammates. She stated, “Our seniors are a huge part of our team and will be missed next year! They are some of the most dedicated and amazing players I have ever been on a team with. All of them have made huge impacts on the volleyball program and have made us all better players. Our seniors are truly my role models and I am forever grateful for everything they have done for the team and myself.”
One of the goals the seniors had in their four years was to create this drive for greatness that would continue for years to come in the program, Onyundo stated, “We want everyone to be seen as a player rather than be separated by class year to create a connection on the court. This was able to drive us to always put up a fight on the court. Our class was very competitive, and the drive we all had is what helped drive us to always strive to persistent in our goals.”
Head Coach Margot Royer-Johnson said, “It’s always about the grit and gratitude.” Harding, Impellizeri, Mason, and Onyundo were able to provide this grit in their years at Providence, and will be truly missed for all the time and effort they brought each week.