Central Connecticut State University volleyball blanked Merrimack College 3-0 in Detrick Gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 10.
Central’s dominant win raised their record to 5-8 in Northeast Conference play and 6-19 overall.
The Blue Devils have been hot down the stretch, winning three of their last four matches.
Senior Mia Lombardo attributed the bump in the team’s play to their willingness to keep fighting.
“We just came together and said we want to work super hard as a team and put our best foot forward for each other for the rest of the season,” Lombardo said.
The Blue Devils did just that offensively, winning the three sets 28-26, 25-16 and 25-2.
Sophomore Weronika Poczynek led the way, putting down 13 kills and adding two service aces on her way to 15.5 points.
Matching Poczynek’s production was junior Lauren Milani, whose 12 kills and two aces propelled her to 16 points in the match.
The Blue Devils’ three-headed monster of a setter rotation was back to full strength, as freshman Larissa Hiemer rejoined after an injury kept her out for much of the season. Her impact was palpable, as she led the team with 15 assists.
Freshman Kylee Baranski and junior Madison Massaro-Cook also contributed 13 and six assists, respectively.
The Central defense also showed up, as the team combined for 16 block assists. Milani, junior Isabella Bratzke, and senior Isabelle Roufs had four, while Lombardo had three.
The team had an efficient receiving match, making just five errors and maintaining a 91.8% reception percentage.
Poczynek led the unit in digs with 16, while the team came up with 49.
Team chemistry is a point of emphasis for the Blue Devils, and it was on full display in this match. Poczynek said she credits much of the team’s recent success to good chemistry and high morale.
“The team chemistry was good at first, but it got so much better progressively as the season went on,” Poczynek said. “It was so good today.”
The Blue Devils have just one match left on the schedule, but it is one of the biggest of the year. Senior Day festivities and a ceremony to honor retiring head coach Lina Sagnelli will surround the match against Stonehill College.
Despite the impending emotions, the Blue Devils said they will treat it like any other game.
“We need to focus on our game and tune out everything around us,” Poczynek said. “It’s going to be exciting to say goodbye to our seniors, and it would be nice to win.”
Sagnelli has the team remaining poised despite the obvious meaning of the game.
“We are looking forward to honoring our seniors, but when that’s done and the game starts, everything else has to go out of our heads,” Sagnelli said. “We just have to focus on having fun and competing against Stonehill, and we just have to focus on us.”
