The Ramapo College women’s volleyball team lost two non-conference matches at Manhattanville University. Misericordia University and host Manhattanville University swept the Roadrunners 3-0. Despite the losses, the team found several positives to take away as they gear up for the start of NJAC play.
In both matches, senior outside hitter Amanda Fatouh led the Roadrunners offensively with 10 kills. Senior opposite hitter Riley Stewart also made her presence felt, delivering nine kills and adding a service ace.
On the defensive side, freshman libero Emma Garcia recorded 15 digs and two assists, alongside junior Kayla Price who added 11 digs. The team’s blocking efforts were highlighted by first-year middle blocker Jasmine Rolle, delivering five assisted blocks during the tournament. Stewart and Fatouh also contributed at the net with three and two blocks, respectively. Junior setter Katie Bishop played a critical role in directing the Roadrunners’ offense, who led the team with 28 assists, while also contributing a team-high three aces.
Despite the final scores, Ramapo showed signs of improvement, specifically in their first match against Misericordia. Head Coach Mark Kwinta was pleased with his team’s fight and effort. “I thought we played well in our first match against Misericordia. We needed to execute our defensive plan a little better, but we showed fight throughout the entire game,” Kwinta said. “I thought we served very well, which allowed us to get them out of the system a decent amount.”
However, Coach Kwinta also emphasized that there is still work to be done, especially on the offensive end. “I think moving forward we need to be more aggressive on offense. We are giving our opponents too many chances to transition and attack us,” he states. “We are ready to get back to practice and work on things we need to improve before the NJAC conference games start up!”
The Roadrunners have struggled to be consistent with offensive play so far this season, with their overall record being 1-6. However, Fatouh highlighted the team’s ability to keep their energy levels high, even when they found themselves down on the scoreboard. “High-energy being something that is extremely important when we play, we were able to maintain that energy throughout the entirety of the game even when we were down a few points,” she said.
Fatouh also acknowledged that the team is still learning how to deal with pressure. “Something that we need to continue working on is dealing with pressure. As a team we are aware that pressure is not something that we handle lightly,” she said. “Losing a key player [Rolle] on our team to an injury forced us to work even harder as well as work with what we got and make the most out of it.”
Bishop also reflected on the day’s matches, particularly the strong performance against Misericordia. “I feel like we played as a cohesive unit working together to execute things we have talked about in practice all season long,” Bishop said. “We kept our energy high and attitudes positive and honestly just had a lot of fun playing in that game, regardless of if we were up or down.”
The Roadrunners get ready to take on Rutgers-Camden on the road for NJAC play, on Tuesday, Sept. 24. They are excited to showcase the progress they’ve made. Fatouh emphasized the team’s motto: “Being that our team motto is “do it for us” that is exactly what we will continue to live by for the rest of the season. Our team is a family who will never have the mindset of giving up on each other. We will continue to work harder each and everyday, believe in one another, and most importantly support each other through any challenges we may face,” she said.
lkelyman@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @katierygielgraphics, Instagram
