The Drew women’s volleyball team faced off against the Susquehanna River Hawks in their fourth Landmark Conference game of the season. Drew suffered a narrow defeat in two of the sets, leading to a 3-1 loss.
Drew started off strong in the first set of the game, landing the first point of the match when Susquehanna knocked the ball out of bounds. Strong serves, coordinated defensive work on both sides and point-saving dives from Drew’s Teeya Desgoutte (‘26) kept the two teams evenly matched throughout the set. The Rangers stayed neck and neck with the River Hawks heading into the battle for game point. Susquehanna pulled ahead at the last second, edging out Drew to win the set 25-23.
Drew once again took an early lead in the second set as the teams alternated scoring kills. Despite a strong start from Drew, the Rangers proved unable to block Susquehanna’s aggressive offense. The River Hawks cruised through the end of the set, winning 25-15.
In spite of the losses, the women on the court remained focused and composed. Drew opened with the first point of the set, edging ahead of Susquehanna for the third time. The River Hawks put up a tough defense but could not stop the Rangers as they gained a clear upper hand for the first time in the entire game, scoring 20 points before Susquehanna was able to break the double digits. Teamwork and coordination, critical saves from Desgoutte and Abigail Pereira (‘26) and continued energy allowed the Rangers to claim a 25-12 victory in the third set, with an ever-growing audience in the Baldwin Gym cheering them on to their fourth set.
The fourth and final set proved to be a bitter fight until the very end as the Drew Rangers attempted to salvage a win after nearly two hours of play. After Susquehanna scored the first kill, the teams fought back and forth for the remainder of the set, vying for a clear advantage to win the match. The Rangers pushed back relentlessly against the River Hawks’ offense, diving for difficult saves to avoid letting Susquehanna score. At one point, a good majority of the players were on the ground from diving, only to get scored on by Susquehanna. Drew was able to catch up briefly as the River Hawks continued to hit out of bounds, only to fall behind as their serves found their way into the net. Despite the surge of energy on the court as Drew’s players fought to save the match, Susquehanna pulled ahead in the final stretch, winning the last set 25 to 22 for a 3-1 match win over the Rangers.
The Rangers will hit the court again on Friday, Oct. 13 in Bethlehem, Pa. to face off against Moravian University in another Landmark Conference game.
Charlotte Wells is a senior double-majoring in English with a concentration in writing and communications and French, as well as minoring in humanities.
