MADISON, N.J. - The Sarah Lawrence women's volleyball team completed a three-set comeback to defeat FDU-Florham by a 3-2 score on Thursday night. The Gryphons fell in the first two sets of the night before 25-22, 25-19 and 20-18 victories helped them seal the comeback effort.
Notable Performers
- Nikolet Vataj led the Gryphons with 22 kills and added in a pair of service aces
- Athena Kazos totaled 16 kills while racking up nine digs and three assists
- Valerie Hertig racked up a career-best 37 assists, her second 30-assist effort of the season. The first year also tallied 18 digs and a trio of aces for SLC
- Kaille Ferguson added 23 digs to her program record total, sprinkling in six assists and five service aces as well
How it Happened
The first set saw Sarah Lawrence struggle to keep pace with FDU's aggressive play. The Devils dominated with a strong offensive attack and prevented the Gryphons from finding a consistent rhythm, allowing the hosts to pull away with an 8-1 run in the middle of the set and keep their distance to eventually secure a 25-14 first-set victory. In the second set, Sarah Lawrence showed improvement but still couldn't overcome FDU-Florham's pressure. Despite some key kills from Nikolet Vataj and Athena Kazos, the Gryphons fell behind early and were forced to play catch-up throughout the set. FDU-Florham capitalized on their early lead and fended off multiple attempts from Sarah Lawrence to close the gap, ultimately winning the set 25-22 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Down two sets, Sarah Lawrence came out with renewed energy in the third. Determined to turn things around, the Gryphons leaned on their key players, including Vataj and Kazos, to drive the offense. Hertig also played a crucial role, delivering pinpoint assists to fuel the attack. The Gryphons were more aggressive at the net and tightened up their defense, keeping FDU-Florham on the back foot. Sarah Lawrence's persistence paid off as a pair of kills by Vataj and a pair of aces by Ferguson allowed them to claim the third set 25-19, staying alive in the match. The momentum continued to shift in Sarah Lawrence's favor in the fourth set. Now playing with a renewed confidence, the Gryphons established control early and maintained it throughout. Vataj totaled seven kills in the set to help Sarah Lawrence take a commanding lead. Despite some resistance from FDU-Florham, the Gryphons never let up, closing out the set 25-19 to force a decisive fifth set.
The final set was the most intense and tightly contested of the match. Sarah Lawrence jumped out to a quick lead, with Vataj and Kazos delivering consecutive kills to make it 3-0. FDU-Florham fought back, tying the score at 3-3, but Sarah Lawrence regained control with another Kazos kill. The two teams traded points back and forth, reaching a 10-10 deadlock. From there, Sarah Lawrence dug deep, with Kazos and Vataj each adding crucial kills. The two teams found themselves trading points, tied at nearly each point, including from 14-14 through the end of the set. The Gryphons eventually broke the streak as Massey and Vataj put up back-to-back kills off of assists from Hertig, securing a 20-18 win to take the set and the match
Up Next
The Gryphons (5-3, Skyline 1-0) will return to action for another non-conference matchup on Saturday as they head into Connecticut for a matchup against the University of Saint Joseph. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. as the Gryphons look for their sixth win of the season in West Hartford.
