NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Sarah Lawrence College women's volleyball team closed out its regular-season schedule in impressive fashion Wednesday, November 4, sweeping Mount Saint Mary College, 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-21), at the Kaplan Recreation Center. With the victory, the Gryphons secured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Skyline Conference Championship and went undefeated in conference play for the first time in program history.
Sarah Lawrence (25-2, 11-0 Skyline) controlled the match from the opening serve, earning a 25-21 victory in the first set behind 17 kills and a .250 hitting percentage. The Gryphons continued to build momentum in the second, recording 16 kills while hitting an impressive .433 to take the set, 25-16. Mount Saint Mary challenged in the third, but Sarah Lawrence maintained its composure to close out the match with another 25-21 victory.
Leading the offensive effort was Nikolet Vataj, who recorded a match-high 17 kills while hitting .500 and adding 14 digs for a double-double. Caroline Combs followed with 15 kills, seven digs and three total blocks, while Charlotte Siemsen contributed nine kills and three total blocks, hitting an outstanding .600.
Sophia Costa orchestrated the Gryphon offense with 37 assists, while also recording five digs and two service aces. Defensively, Kai Perkins led Sarah Lawrence with 17 digs, followed by Vataj's 14. The Gryphons finished the evening with 45 kills, eight service aces, six total blocks and 56 digs while hitting .302 as a team.
With the regular season officially complete, Sarah Lawrence enters the postseason as the top team in the Skyline Conference standings, earning the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage throughout the conference tournament. The historic achievement marks the first time the Gryphons will enter the postseason as the conference's top seed.
The Gryphons also remain ranked No. 3 in Region III in the latest NCAA Division III regional rankings, continuing to strengthen their postseason resume.
Sarah Lawrence will return to action Thursday, November 12, when it hosts the winner of the first-round matchup between No. 4 Manhattanville and No. 5 Mount Saint Mary in the Skyline Conference Championship semifinals.
