Marist volleyball made its home debut this weekend, splitting its homestand and showing a new fight compared to last year, in part thanks to the return of graduate student setter Claire Lewis. The team played a more complete brand of volleyball, showing the McCann Arena fans that they hold the potential to compete in the MAAC.
Last season, it took the Red Foxes until October to get their first conference win. Besides grabbing their first win in MAAC conference play, another positive takeaway for the Red Foxes this weekend is the return of Lewis to the McCann Arena floor; she played in all seven sets and led the team with 44 assists.
“The energy was great, especially at the start,” said Lewis after Friday night’s 3-1 loss to Rider. “It’s so fun being out there with everyone, having all of our family and friends being there and supporting us.”
Lewis is returning from two different significant knee injuries: a torn meniscus that kept her sidelined all of last season, and another injury to her right knee that she suffered during summer practices. Her knee is not fully healed, but Lewis is powering through for herself and the team.
Lewis returned a week earlier than her initial timeline suggested. Although this is her first time playing with most of the team, she has found a connection with her hitters right away.
“I love playing with people like Claire on the court,” said freshman outside hitter Mallory Reck. “She is such a great leader.”
On Friday, the offense put together one of its strongest performances of the season, hitting .276 against the Broncs. The outside hitter duo of Reck and junior Sara Dasic led the offense, combining for 28 of the team’s 48 kills.
“We all bonded so quickly, especially going through preseason friendship-wise, and that translates so well on the court,” Lewis said.
Before the major setback for Lewis, she was a huge piece for the team in 2023, averaging 10.76 assists per set to help Marist make the MAAC Tournament. The Red Foxes are looking to return to the playoffs after falling short last year, finishing eleventh in the conference.
With Lewis back in the lineup, the Red Foxes have run a 6-2 offense, allowing them to have three hitters in the front row at all times, giving more options for Lewis and freshman setter Caelyn Dumas.
Lewis’ return also allows head coach Sean Byron to experiment more with his lineup and try out more hitters. On Friday night, Byron went with sophomore right-side hitter Taylor Miller and freshman outside hitter Eden Bristow. The two combined for 12 kills against the Broncs.
The next evening, Byron decided to shake up the lineup, playing two freshmen on the right side, Ava Lanzetta and Elena Koute. Both stepped up for the Red Foxes, especially Lanzetta, who had nine kills and two blocks. The offense hit .301, and Marist had eleven more kills than the Peacocks, ultimately leading to their first MAAC win of the season.
The two setters, Dumas and Lewis, ran the offense very effectively over the weekend. The team hit over .250 in both games, something they had not done in consecutive games all season.
Lewis aims to finish her career out on a high note with the Red Foxes, but she is also excited to end her career on her own terms.
“Deep down, I knew I needed to play again, just like, have some sort of closure with the sport,” said Lewis after the 2024 season. “I’ve been playing it my whole life, and it’s a great opportunity. This is a great school. I love it here, and it was going to be hard to leave in the spring.”
Lewis and the Red Foxes continue their conference schedule at home this week, hosting the Siena Saints on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Edited by Ben Leeds
Photo by Quinn DiFiore
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