Columbia, MD – Garrett College's women's volleyball opponents simply aren't getting the message: You don't want to go to a decisive fifth set against the Lady Lakers.
GC outlasted host Howard Community College, 25-21, 24-26, 25-12, 21-25, and 15-13, Saturday afternoon as the Lady Lakers improved to 5-1 in five-set matches. GC (10-6 overall, 7-3 Region 20) also swept Baltimore City Community College, 25-9, 25-7, and 25-6, as the Lady Lakers won for the eighth time in their last 10 matches.
"It's a good little confidence boost to have going into the next couple of matches," said GC head coach Brittany Jackson, whose team plays at Potomac State College of West Virginia University (11-3, 8-2) on October 23rd before hosting Allegany College of Maryland (12-3, 9-2) on October 24th in key region matches. "We have to understand we're going to have to really work to compete with them."
Brenna L'Hommedieu (16 kills, four aces), Thelma McGee (11 kills), and Aiyana Yoder (10 kills) all had double-digit kill totals against Howard while Karen Cuellar had 48 assists, 11 digs, and four aces. Paola Chirino had an impressive 24 digs to lead the Lady Lakers' defensive effort.
"Our serve-receive was definitely strong, which allowed us to run the middle," said Jackson. "That gives us a better opportunity to set up more people. If we can run her [L'Hommedieu], we're gonna run her."
Jackson lauded Cuellar's efforts setting up the offense.
"Karen is very good at getting her hands there and having a really good set," said Jackson. "She has the skills and the setter IQ required to run the offense."
Winless BCCC didn't provide much of a challenge for the Lady Lakers.
"It was more or less a serving game rather than a pass-set-hit kind of game,'" said Jackson. "They [BCCC] would just 'free-ball' everything over."
GC's Chi Lalk had a match-high 11 services aces and Cuellar contributed seven aces against BCCC (0-8, 0-5).
Notes: The Lady Lakers play at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College (0-13) Tuesday night in a non-region contest.
