The women's volleyball team faced its first matches of a competitive season ahead this weekend as a roster of fresh faces took the court at home for the first time against Manhattanville College on Friday, September 9. The next day, the Gryphons regrouped and headed to the Panther Invitational for a tournament on Saturday, September 10, where they faced off against Old Westbury, Farmingdale State, and Maritime College.   

Although the Gryphons lost their match-up against Manhattanville on Friday 0-3, Head Coach Krishna Dass and the fans saw real promise in the young squad that is made up entirely of First Years. Several times during the match, the Gryphons were able to pull ahead and hold leads against the Manhattanville team that had already played three matches coming into the battle against Sarah Lawrence.

“I am extremely proud of the way the players have handled themselves on and off the court,” Dass said of her team, noting each players' contribution from the “spark-plug in our defensive system,” middle blocker Maxine Graham-Vannais to Kathryn O'Sullivan's “impressive plays at the setter's spot, leading the offense with great hustle and tenacity.” 

Dass added, “With a roster that houses eight First Year players, leadership will be a big factor throughout the season. The women have stepped up and made some spectacular plays and have performed like veteran players.”

Although the Gryphons lost all three match-ups at Saturday's tournament, the team put good numbers on the board, such as an extremely close game against Maritime that saw the Gryphons losing just 24-26 during the first game of the match.

“We are still developing our identity as a team,” Dass said following the tournament. “As the season progresses, we will look to solidify a rotation that highlights our strengths without exposing any weaknesses, while improving our consistency and to staying disciplined fundamentally.”

“I am optimistic about our standings in the conference and look forward to making a strong run mid-season in order to vie for the top spot,” she said.