By Miles Montgomery
The Colorado College women’s volleyball team concluded its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season slate Friday night against Johnson and Wales University, defeating the Wildcats in three sets by scores of 25 – 16, 25 – 15, and 25 – 15.
This victory ensured the Tigers a share of the regular season title, and a 29 – 3 regular season record.
Outside hitter Jordan Mullen ’20 and middle hitter Marguerite Spaethling ’20 led the way for the Tigers offensively with eight kills apiece, while setter Lizzy Counts ’20 had 17 assists without making a single error.
On the defensive side, Mullen and defensive specialist Anna Gurolnick ’20 had 10 and nine digs, respectively.
“It was a great night,” setter Belle Aragon-Menzel ’21 said. “I think the seniors felt really appreciated, and we were all so happy to be a part of it. They’ve accomplished a lot these past four years, and it was a perfect celebration for them.”
The Tigers, ranked No. 7 nationally, will take the court again this weekend, where they will take on the winner of the Southwestern University and Texas Lutheran University match in the semifinal of the SCAC Tournament in Seguin, Texas.
Friday also marked the final home game for the highly decorated senior class. A pregame ceremony honored senior team members before the match. The senior class has had two American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Americans — Counts and Spaethling — and numerous all-SCAC conference honors for both excellence on the court and in the classroom.
“It was great to have all of us out there on the court at home one last time,” Counts said. “We all played well, and it felt good to go out how we came in, together.”
Outside hitter Haley Harris ’20 was also happy with the performance.
“The game was fun,” Harris said. “We played really well, and having all the seniors on the court was a bittersweet moment since our season isn’t over yet, but will be soon. We all can’t wait for the offseason to hang out with each other.”
The Tigers aren’t done yet. Regardless of how the SCAC tournament shakes out, a run in the tournament almost certainly awaits. After falling last year in the Regional Semifinal to Emory University, the team has its eyes on a deep post-season run, and sending its seniors into the sunset with a national championship.