BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – The Sarah Lawrence College women's volleyball team began its 2021 season on Thursday night, hosting FDU-Florham. The Gryphons battled the Devils all contest, dropping three sets by three or fewer points. FDU defeated SLC 3-0.

THE NUMBERS

• Kaille Ferguson led the Gryphons in kills, going for nine. She also posted 11 digs.
• Tabitha Hardin-Zollo's defense was on display. The sophomore had 20 digs.
• Georgi Massey made an immediate impact in her first collegiate game. The Los Angeles native went for four kills, three service aces, and recorded a team-best .333 hitting percentage in just two sets of action.
• Claire Mitchell protected the net with two blocks.
• Mia Rector was the main facilitator for the Gryphons, dishing out 15 assists.

HOW IT HAPPENED
SLC grabbed an early 4-1 advantage in the first set. The teams were separated by three points or less for the entirety of the set. FDU battled back, evening the score at 12, then eventually taking a 14-12 lead. Davis Mathis sparked a 3-0 run for Sarah Lawrence and the Gryphons were back on top 15-14. The teams traded 2-0 spurts, then three straight points from SLC saw the Gryphons go up 20-17. Trailing 24-22, FDU strung together a 4-0 stint, rallying back and taking the first set 26-24.

The Gryphons and Devils went toe-to-toe in set two. Three points was the largest margin for either team in the second set. Down 12-9, SLC fought back thanks to a service error and back-to-back service aces from Georgi Massey. Claire Mitchell and Davis Mathis anchored a 3-0 run that put Sarah Lawrence up 15-13. Another late burst from FDU gave the Devils the advantage at 18-16. The Gryphons clawed their way back, knotting the score at 18. FDU jumped out to another three-point edge, maintaining the advantage for the remainder of the set and winning it 25-22.

The Devils held their biggest lead of the night in the third set, going up 9-4. Mathis and Massey came up huge again, headlining a 5-0 stretch that deadlocked the set at nine. The Gryphons accumulated their greatest advantage of the night in the third set as well, putting together a 4-0 run that included a Kaille Ferguson kill and a Mia Rector service ace. Down 19-14, FDU fired off eight straight points. The Devils never let go of their advantage after that, taking the final set 25-22.  

Up Next
The Gryphons host SUNY-Delhi on Saturday, September 4 at 1:00 p.m.