Marist volleyball was welcomed back to McCann Arena by a strong home crowd after spending the first four weeks of the season on the road. A balanced offensive effort propelled Marist back into the win column, as the Red Foxes swept New Haven in straight sets (25-18, 25-13, 25-13) in their home opener.
The Red Foxes came out with the energy they had been waiting to bring home. The first set was competitive early, but Marist began to create separation behind its offense and serving. Sophomore outside hitter Mallory Reck provided a spark from the service line, while sophomore setter Caelyn Dumas and senior outside hitter Sara Dasic also made an impact as the Red Foxes turned a close set into a comfortable lead.
New Haven struggled to find consistency as Marist pulled away. The Chargers committed several attack errors throughout, while the Red Foxes continued to find ways to keep the ball moving and extend rallies. Marist eventually took the opening set 25-18.
“We’ve been really excited to be at home.” said head coach Annie DeLoid. “We’ve been away for four weeks now, and the girls have been dying to be here and play in front of our home crowd.”
That infectious energy carried into the second set. New Haven briefly got on the board first but Marist quickly settled in and took control. Reck helped fuel a six-point run with three consecutive service aces, and the Red Foxes never let the Chargers respond.
Marist’s offense became even more consistent as the match went on. The Red Foxes spread the ball around instead of relying on one hitter, getting contributions from freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Molly Mallone and senior right-side hitter Trinity Woods. Marist closed out the second set 25-13 with a hit percentage of .360.
The third set followed a similar script. Marist built an early advantage and continued to apply pressure as New Haven tried to stay within reach. The Red Foxes answered every attempt at a comeback, with kills coming from throughout the lineup as defense kept plays alive.
The difference was the effort on defense, something DeLoid had emphasized in practice leading into the match. Marist chased down loose balls and made New Haven work for nearly every point.
“I saw a different team tonight,” said DeLoid. “ I thought we were gritty, we were scrappy, we were going for everything. Bodies were on the floor, and I feel like there was a lot of energy and effort overall, which I don’t know that I’ve seen consistently enough this season.”
Their defensive effort helped Marist hold New Haven to a .137 hitting percentage. Senior libero Cecilia Potter-Pessoa and Reck led the Red Foxes with 11 digs each, while junior middle-blocker Sarah Bumstead finished with four blocks.
The offensive balance was just as important. Reck finished with 12 kills, Malone had nine and Woods added seven. Dumas recorded 36 assists while helping Marist hit .389 as a team.
“I thought we were really spread tonight,” said DeLoid. “I thought we weren’t just a one man show. We were really working hard. I thought Caelyn [Dumas] did a good job of spreading the ball around.”
The Red Foxes finished the night with a three-set sweep and a performance that gave them momentum heading into conference play.
“I think this should give us a lot of confidence,” said DeLoid. “ You know, I think we do a really good job in our gym of taking it one day at a time, and one game at a time. So we’re definitely gonna turn our attention and focus now to Metro Play, but this is a really great way to end our nonconference play and give these girls a lot of confidence overall.”
Next up, Marist will face Rider at the Canastra Hammer Arena on Friday night to open Metro Play.
Edited by August Lieberman
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photo via Marist Athletics
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