HANNAH DOYLE
STAFF WRITER
The Wooster Scots proved to be difficult opponents for the Lady Barons’ volleyball team on Tuesday, Sept. 4, and the Lady Barons fell to the Scots 3-0 in the first home game of the season.
Throughout the match, the Barons struggled to pick up the Scots’ spikes and smartly played tips. They nevertheless fought until the last point of the game but were still unable to win a set out of the match.
The Lady Barons started the first set as the underdogs, losing the lead to a Wooster 5-0 run, but senior outside hitter Maria Ciola proved to be a true contender in the game, putting up seven kills during the match and helping out at the net to block the Scots’ attempts to put points up on the board. However, the Scots quickly fought back, winning the first set 25-8.
The second was an exceptional one for the Lady Barons as they surged forward and gained the lead at 3-0. Both teams exchanged multiple challenging rallies before the end of the game. The Scots stayed composed and were able to outplay the Barons in the end. The Lady Barons fell two points short of victory in the second set, losing to Wooster 25-23.
The Barons regrouped in their third match. With 12 points on the board, Ciola rallied the Barons with three kills in a row, helping the Barons to keep the intensity high as they neared the end of the game. With only a minute left on the clock, the Scots earned four points consecutively and ended the last game of the match 25-15.
Despite the tough loss, Ciola, a team captain, was confident about this season and had high hopes for the upcoming conference play.
“I was so proud of how the team pulled it together the last two sets, especially after the first one of raw nerves. We were picking each other up and getting fired up at every timeout and point break. It was a fantastic energy,” said Ciola. “We have a lot of young talent waiting to be cut loose this season. (Freshman middle hitter) Maria Bosco played a phenomenal game tonight. Her cool confidence was dynamite on the court. (Sophomore outside and right side hitter) Jess Lehner also played exceptionally well.”
The Lady Barons host Marietta College on Thursday evening for their second home game at 7 p.m.