MADISON, N.J. – The Sarah Lawrence College women's volleyball team earned a pair of victories Saturday, September 19, at Drew University's tri-match, sweeping Saint Elizabeth University, 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-5), before defeating host Drew University, 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 29-27, 28-26).
With the two wins, the Gryphons improve to 10-1 on the season and extend their winning streak to six matches. The 10-1 start is the program's best since the 2001 season, when Sarah Lawrence opened the year 11-0. At that time, the Gryphons competed in the HVWAC, and the program's record reflected only NCAA-countable opponents, excluding junior college and non-varsity contests.
Sarah Lawrence 3, Saint Elizabeth 0
The Gryphons opened the day with a dominant 3-0 victory over Saint Elizabeth (1-5), posting a .420 hitting percentage compared to .000 for the Eagles. Sarah Lawrence also held advantages in points, 60-19; kills, 36-13; service aces, 23-4; assists, 35-13; and digs, 29-20. Saint Elizabeth held a 2-1 edge in blocks.
Nikolet Vataj led the Gryphons with a season-high 18 kills while hitting .615. She also recorded a season-high five service aces, four digs and a block assist.
Sophia Costa directed the offense with 31 assists while adding six digs and a kill.
Rookie
Caroline Combs recorded a season-high 11 service aces, the second-most in a single match in program history, while adding six kills and four digs. Freshman
Kai Perkins anchored the defense with a match-high 10 digs, along with three assists and two aces.
Sarah Lawrence jumped out to a 10-1 lead in the opening set, with Vataj recording four kills and Combs adding two aces during the run. After Saint Elizabeth cut the deficit to 14-7, a kill from freshman
Bailey Gordon sparked a five-point run that gave the
Gryphons a 19-7 advantage. Sarah Lawrence went on to take the set, 25-12, behind seven kills and two aces from Vataj and four aces from Combs.
The Gryphons took control of the second set with a 5-0 run after the teams were tied at four. Vataj, Costa and senior
Milly Guemple each contributed points during the stretch. Kills from Combs and Vataj helped Sarah Lawrence build a 15-7 lead. Saint Elizabeth later pulled within three at 19-16, but the Gryphons closed the set on a 6-2 run to win 25-18. Vataj again recorded seven kills.
Sarah Lawrence dominated the third set from the start, opening with a 13-1 run that included seven service aces from Combs. After two Gryphon errors made it 14-3, Vataj sparked an 11-2 closing run with a kill.
Alex Pantoliano finished the match with a service ace as Sarah Lawrence completed the sweep, 25-5.
Sarah Lawrence 3, Drew 1
The Gryphons followed with a four-set victory over host Drew (3-8), taking the first set 25-17, dropping the second 25-23, and winning the final two sets, 29-27 and 28-26.
Sarah Lawrence hit .246 for the match, while Drew posted a .221 hitting percentage. The Gryphons held advantages in points, 80-67; kills, 65-49; assists, 63-45; and digs, 75-63. Drew led in service aces, 11-10, and blocks, 7-5.
Sarah Lawrence's 65 kills and 63 assists both set new program records for a single match, surpassing the previous mark of 60 kills, set against Farmingdale State on November 12, 2024.
Combs delivered a season-high 26 kills and 28.5 points while hitting .346. She also added eight digs, two service aces and a block assist.
Vataj recorded her third double-double of the season and 12th of her career with 17 kills and 11 digs, adding four service aces and a block assist.
Olivia Richard contributed a season-high 10 kills, the second double-digit-kill performance of her career, along with two block assists while hitting a team-best .529.
Costa posted her first double-double of the season and 10th of her career, finishing with a career-high 56 assists and a season-high 15 digs. Perkins added a season-high 26 digs and six assists.
The Gryphons overcame an early 9-8 deficit in the opening set against Drew with a 12-0 run sparked by a kill from freshman
Charlotte Siemsen. Vataj and Combs combined for nine points during the run, while Siemsen added two. Drew later pulled within six at 21-15, but Richard closed the set with a kill for a 25-17 Sarah Lawrence victory.
Drew took a 9-7 lead in the second set before a Combs kill sparked a 4-0 Gryphon run, putting Sarah Lawrence ahead 11-9. The Rangers eventually tied the set at 18 and moved in front, 19-18, before the teams traded points. With the score tied at 23,
Drew recorded a kill and benefited from a Sarah Lawrence attack error to take the set, 25-23.
The third set featured a dramatic comeback from the Gryphons. Drew built a 10-5 advantage before Sarah Lawrence answered with four straight points to pull within one. The Rangers later extended their lead to 23-16, but the Gryphons responded with a 9-1 run, including five kills from Combs, to take a 25-24 lead.
Drew regained the advantage at 27-26, but kills from Vataj and Combs, followed by a Rangers attack error, gave Sarah Lawrence the set, 29-27. The set marked the longest of the season for the Gryphons.
Sarah Lawrence again faced a deficit in the fourth set, trailing 12-8 before a Combs kill sparked a 10-1 run that put the Gryphons ahead 18-13. Drew answered with an 8-1 run to regain the lead, 21-19.
The teams battled to a 25-25 tie before Drew moved ahead on a kill. Richard responded with two kills, and Combs followed with a service ace to close out the set, 28-26, and secure Sarah Lawrence's sixth consecutive victory.
The Gryphons return to action Thursday, October 1, when they travel to Brooklyn College for a 7 p.m. match.
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