POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Marist volleyball made quick work of Canisius on Friday, sweeping the Golden Griffins 3-0 at McCann Arena to strengthen its position in the Metro playoff race.
Marist (11-12, 6-4 Metro) entered the matchup tied for fifth place with two other teams, and only the top six teams advance to the postseason. With less than a month remaining in the regular season, the Red Foxes looked to take advantage of a Canisius team that entered with a 3-16 overall record and a 1-6 conference mark. Marist has been particularly strong at home this season, and Friday’s win improved its home record to 5-1.
With the conference playoff race tightening, the Red Foxes are focused on putting together a strong stretch of matches to improve their position and avoid a potential tiebreaker.
“I think the girls know we’re home, we’re home today, home tomorrow, home on Tuesday, so we definitely play better at home,” said Marist head coach Annie DeLoid. “We’re trying to kind of break that mold with ourselves and get good on the road because we’re not going to be home forever.”
Marist suffocated Canisius, combining an aggressive attack with a defense that kept the Golden Griffins out of rhythm. The Red Foxes hit .443 as a team, while holding Canisius to 0.72. Senior outside hitter Sara Dasic led the way with 11 kills, followed by sophomore outside hitter Mallory Reck with 10, as sophomore setter Caelyn Dumas spread the ball around with 33 assists to keep Marist’s offense rolling.
The Red Foxes established control early in the opening set, scoring five consecutive points to take an early lead. A block from Reck and junior middle blocker Sarah Bumstead helped set the tone defensively, while Dumas connected with her teammates to keep the offense moving. Freshman outside hitter/middle blocker Molly Malone added back-to-back kills and Marist continued to pull away.
Canisius struggled to find its rhythm against Marist’s aggressive attack, and a service ace from Dumas helped extend the lead to 14-4. The Red Foxes capitalized on their opportunities, with Dumas setting up junior right-side hitter Trinity Woods for a kill that found an opening in the Canisius defense. Marist hit .500 in the first set while limiting the Golden Griffins to a -.056 hitting percentage in a dominant 25-11 win.
DeLoid credited the team’s offensive approach to the work it puts in defensively during practice, explaining how the two areas of the game complement one another.
“I think we’re a very offensive team,” said DeLoid. “Our practices mainly revolve around defense. We work a lot on defense in practice, but in order to do defense, we have to do offense, so I think that helps a ton in the gym.”
Canisius showed more resistance in the second set, but Marist still found ways to score. The Red Foxes built an early advantage behind their serving and attacking, forcing the Golden Griffins to work to stay within reach. A Canisius block briefly cut into the lead, but Reck responded with a powerful kill to help Marist maintain control.
“I’m never afraid of them swinging away,” said DeLoid. “They’re smart. We have words of the week every single week, and one of them was innovative, so I think they tried to be smart with their shots and not just do power shots and swing away but tried to find placement on the court.”
The Golden Griffins kept the third set competitive, tying the score at 8-8 for its closest contest of the afternoon. Marist responded using a 7-1 run fueled by Dumas and Bumstead to create separation. Canisius struggled to keep up as the Red Foxes found space on the court.
In a last-ditch effort, Canisius challenged Marist’s 23rd point, but the ruling stood in Marist’s favor. Marist closed out the frame 25-13, completing the sweep as players danced to the victory.
Marist continues its home stand Saturday against Niagara before returning to McCann Arena Tuesday to face Siena. With the conference tightening, the Red Foxes will look to build on Friday’s performance and cut into the top three seeds.
Edited by August Lieberman
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photo via Marist Athletics
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