McHenry, MD – The Lady Lakers saved their best for last.
Garrett College – down two sets, and then down quickly in the fifth set – rallied Saturday afternoon to defeat visiting Beaver County Community College, 13-25, 20-25, 25-14, 25-17, and 15-9. The comeback permitted GC – which went 0-18 last season – to finish the 2023 women's volleyball campaign at 4-14.
"When things got tough, we didn't give in," said second-year GC head coach Brittany Jackson. "We played tougher and stronger and together."
Daphne Harman – the only returner from last year's squad – finished her GC career with an impressive performance. She posted a volleyball "double-double" – a match-high 12 kills and 10 digs – as the Lady Lakers finished with wins in two of their final three matches.
"It's such a great feeling," Harman said of Saturday's comeback. I was skeptical after the first set, but our energy was great and we came together as a team."
Freshman Aiyana Yoder also posted a double-double, with 11 kills and a match-high 12 digs. Yoder also threw down a match-high six aces as the Lady Lakers finished 2023 with a highly competitive 3-4 home schedule.
"Aiyana really came up big for us today," said Jackson.
Alex Wolf also came up big, with a match-high 27 assists to go along with five aces after transitioning from hitter to setter for the Lady Lakers.
"I could see us improving throughout the season," said Wolf. "It was great to end the season on a win and finish strong."
Brookelyn Keller also came up big, coming up with a match-high 16 digs. Janiya Burton also played well offensively in the middle in her final game as a Lady Laker.
"It felt good to end the season with a win like this," said Burton.
The match didn't start well for the Lady Lakers. BCCC blew out to 4-0, 14-6, and 22-11 leads in the opening set. The Titans then scored the final six points to pull out the second set to take a seemingly insurmountable 2-0 lead.
The comeback started for earnest in the third set. GC used an 8-1 run to break away from a 1-1 tie as Yoder put down a pair of middle kills and Harman threw in an ace as the Lady Lakers took control of the set.
GC never trailed in the fourth set, building 3-0, 8-4, and 12-10 leads. Yoder than led a 4-0 run including a kill and a point-scoring block, as the Lady Lakers forced a fifth set.
BCCC took a 2-0 lead in the fifth set, but the Lady Lakers responded with an 11-2 run to take total control of the match. Yoder threw down two middle kills and an ace during the run, which also included two aces from Harman, as the Lady Lakers finished the season with an impressive win.
It was definitely a roller coaster season," said Jackson. "With the six [players] I had to finish, I'm very proud of them. They were committed, dedicated, hard working and showed a true passion for the game."
Garrett 3, Baltimore City 0
BALTIMORE – Daphne Harman had a match-high seven kills, Brookelyn Keller led all players with seven aces, and Alexia Wolf contributed a match-high 12 assists last Tuesday night as the Lady Lakers completed a home-and-home sweep of Baltimore City Community College.
GC (3-14) won the match, 25-13, 25-15, and 25-16. In the process, the Lady Lakers notched their first road win, finishing with a 1-9 road record.
Sadie Portillo and Janiya Burton each had two aces for GC. Aiyana Yoder contributed three kills and two assists.
GC finished with a 17-1 edge in kills and 15-1 advantage in aces as the host Panthers were unable to mount much of an offensive attack.
NVCC 3, Garrett 0
Annandale, VA – Isabelle Villota contributed a match-high 11 kills Thursday night as host Northern Virginia Community College swept the Lady Lakers, 25-8, 25-20, and 25-22.
The Nighthawks (11-5) used the victory to extend their current winning streak to five straight matches.
