Volleyball drops opener to Midway

Georgetown Volleyball kicked off the 2024 season at Davis-Reid Alumni Gym on Thursday night. While the Tigers hung tough against Midway throughout the contest, the Eagles proved just a bit too much in the end as they knocked off GC 3 sets to 1.

In the 1st set, the teams alternated the first 8 points before Georgetown made a move. Kills from Gareth Bruce, Marissa Taylor and an ace from Bruce sent GC to a 7-4 edge. Midway countered with the next 7 unanswered to give the Eagles an 11-7 lead, during which Georgetown used a timeout. Georgetown bounced back with 3 of the next 4 to get within 12-10 before the teams began exchanging serves and points. With the set at a 16-14 Midway lead, the Eagles ripped off 4 in a row for a 6-point lead, which sent the Tigers into another timeout. The Tigers again score 3 of 4 to get within 21-18, but Midway had the counter once more. Another 4-0 run brought the opening set to an end with a 25-18 Midway win.

The 2nd set started in similar fashion to the first with each side trading points and the early advantage. With the Tigers trailing 9-8, Maria Alves delivered a kill that set Georgetown off on a 6-1 run to surge into the lead at 14-10 and cause the Eagles to use a timeout for the first time. The Eagles got 1 back before Georgetown countered with kills from Makena Walker around a Matilde Oom ace. The mini-run extended Georgetown's lead to 17-11. Midway got back within 3 at 18-15 before Georgetown put 2 more on the board for a 5-point lead and Midway's last timeout of the set. At the end with Cassidy Wilburn on serve, Georgetown scored the last 4 of a 2nd set, in which the Tigers hit a match-high .393, for a 25-17 win to level the match.

Midway ratched up its defending in the 3rd to a level not seen at any other point. Georgetown hit -.027 in the 3rd with 9 attack errors. The Tigers' defending wasn't far behind as Midway hit just .129 in the set, which allowed Georgetown to keep things close. The Tigers had an 8-7 lead but Midway rolled off 5 straight for the edge. A Faith Miller ace tied the set at 12, but Midway scored the next 3 and took a lead it would never relinquish. With the set at 17-15 Midway, the Eagles scored 6 unanswered thanks to 5 Tiger attack errors, en route to a 25-16 Eagles win and a 2-1 match lead.

The 4th set took a simliar story as the 3rd. Points and serves traded. Georgetown takes an 8-7 lead. Midway scores 4 straight to send Georgetown to a timeout trailing 11-8. Georgetown flipped the script with a blinding 7-1 run to surge to a 15-12 lead. The margin stayed the same to 17-14, but Midway again came up with 4 straight to retake control. Maria Alves tied the match out of a Tiger timeout, but the Eagles scored the next 2 for a 20-18 lead. Georgetown got back within a point 3 times but could never draw level again as Midway eventually rolled off the final 3 points for a 25-21 win to take the match, 3-1.

Gareth Bruce led the offense with 12 kills, while Makena Walker added 10 on the right side. Faith Miller and Matilde Oom combined for 33 assists to pace the offense in the middle. Backline defending proved a big part of the match as the teams combined for 125 digs. Reese Speed celebrated her 21st birthday by leading everyone with a staggering 21 digs. Cassidy Wilburn added 11 in her collegiate debut, and the Tigers got 8 from Matilde Oom.

The Tigers next head west to Palos Heights, IL on Saturday for 2 matches, starting with a 10:00am ET contest against Trinity Christian (IL), followed by a scheduled noon start against Hannibal-LaGrange (MO).