The Drew University Women’s Volleyball team dominated their homecourt 3-0 against the Goucher College Gophers in a tri-match on Saturday, Oct. 12. Drew took advantage of their opponent’s weaknesses, targeting overlooked areas on Goucher’s side of the court in order to clinch a straight-set victory.
Goucher had an initial strong lead, but Drew kept the pressure as they unleashed several kills, bringing them neck-and-neck with their opponent’s score in the early moments of the first set. The shift in momentum was evident, as the Gophers’ offense began to falter shortly afterward, failing to lift the ball over the net and unable to defend their zone from calculated spikes from the Rangers. The first set ended in a score of 25-19 with Teeya Desgoutte (‘26) gently tapping the ball over the net, grazing past the Gophers’ anticipating hands, earning the Rangers’ first set win.
The second set opened with Drew picking up where they left off in the first: racking up several points as they forced Goucher into several errors and inaccurate returns. The Gophers desperately tried to return the Rangers’ powered attacks, rushing towards the ball as it dived over the net, but they were not always quick enough to prolong the rallies. Drew’s overwhelming attack suffocated Goucher’s defense, propelling the Rangers to an early lead in the second set.
The Gophers continued to try and regain their footing throughout the second set, but this strategy resulted in them hitting several outs, bringing the Rangers closer to winning. Despite a promising Goucher push towards the end of the set, the second set concluded with a score of 25-8, as Drew sent a screaming kill past the Gophers’ defense, clinching the second set for Drew in dramatic fashion.
Goucher returned to the third set with renewed energy, as they landed a handful of points alongside Drew. However, this was not enough to overwhelm the pressure and tactical prowess applied by the Rangers. The Rangers sent several balls just out of reach of the Gophers’ flailing arms as they attempted to catch up to the speeding ball. Finally, the Gophers hit a ball that went into the net, handing Drew the final winning set point. Drew closed the match sweeping all three sets, securing their first Landmark Conference win of the season.
The Rangers proudly went on to blaze the court again in another sweep later that same day against Marywood University. The Rangers travel to Elizabethtown to take on their Landmark Conference Rival Blue Jays on October 18.
Sydney Nguyen is a first-year majoring in neuroscience and psychology.
