By Hayden Cogswell
The Colorado College volleyball team traveled to Dallas over Block Break to defend their 11-0 conference record and top spot in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.
First up for CC were the Pirates of Southwestern University, fresh off a 2–0 weekend and looking to get after the Tigers early. CC took the first set 25–22 with relative ease, but the Pirates fought hard to win the following set 27–25. Both sets were a battle, with each team vying for momentum to carry them to a victory. However, following Southwestern’s only victorious set, the gap in talent between the teams became apparent. The Tigers went on to easily win the third and fourth sets 25–18 and 13–25 respectively.
Anna Gurolnick ’20 was instrumental in the win, recording a season-high 22 digs.
“Anna played lights out defense,” Jordan Mullen ’20 said. “She continually plays an amazing role on our team as both a leader and a hype man.”
Lizzy Counts ’20 and Hailey Harris ’20 also had big impacts. Counts finished with a career-high 24 digs, while Harris netted a season-high 17 kills and her 25th career double-double.
Several hours later, the Tigers took the court again to face the University of Dallas Crusaders, who were also unable to handle the Tiger offense. CC won all three sets with points to spare, keeping the Crusaders from reaching 20 points in every set. The win extended CC’s overall record to 25–2 and was their 21st sweep this season.
Several seniors again put in important performances to guide the team to a smooth victory. Harris one-upped her kills total from the previous match acheiving 18, and finished with yet another double-double. Counts finished with 31 assists, and Mullen put in a commanding performance with 14 kills and 12 digs.
“For us seniors, our time with Colorado College Volleyball is quickly coming to an end, so our goal is to play for each other,” Harris said. “We want to make sure that when this season is over, we feel like we took advantage of our time as Tigers.”
The Tigers are currently ranked No. 6 in the country, but they are looking to focus on what lies just ahead rather than the big picture.
“The approach for the rest of the season is to play every point like it’s the national championship,” Harris said. “We want to play without regrets and just take it one point and day at a time.”
Sitting atop the SCAC and on an 18-game unbeaten streak, the Tigers are in understandably high spirits.
“Morale is high after a great weekend,” Harris said. This season has been tough, with a multitude of injuries, but we are sticking together. We are so blessed to be a part of a team that has each other’s backs — we compete with one another on the court but still have endless love for one another off the court.”