Emotions ran high in the Bradley Center on Saturday as the women’s volleyball team wrapped up their season with a 3-0 win over Centenary University. Saturday’s game represented the final time that the three senior captains of the team would suit up for the Roadrunners, as Emily Shea, Riley Stewart and Amanda Fatouh were honored pregame by Ramapo President Cindy Jebb, Athletic Director Jan Koslowsky and Head Coach Tyler Kwinta.
The three seniors played vital roles in winning Ramapo’s first-ever New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championship last year and helped the team appear in the NCAA tournament for just the second time in program history.
Stewart will end her Ramapo career with 440 kills and 152 total blocks, which are both inside the top 20 in Ramapo History. Fatouh was a four-year starter for the Roadrunners and a defensive specialist who tallied 470 career digs and a career-high 182 kills this year. Shea earned her way into the lineup during her sophomore year and has always been known as the team’s emotional leader. Shea finished her Ramapo career with 174 kills and 214.5 points.
All three seniors got the start for their final game against the shorthanded Cyclones, who were down to only seven active players due to injury. Ramapo got out to a quick 5-0 lead in the first set against a Centenary team that struggled to finish plays all day. The Cyclones were able to fight back throughout the set to bring it to a 20-19 Roadrunner lead, but Ramapo closed the frame with five straight points, including two kills from Fatouh.
In the second set, Centenary put up their best effort of the day against the Roadrunners, forcing nine separate lead changes. The Cyclones pressured the Roadrunners back from a 23-16 lead to a 24-23 lead, but Ramapo was able to close out the set with a kill from Stewart.
In the third set, the Roadrunners got out to another hot start, leading 6-0 and forcing an immediate Centenary timeout. From that point, Ramapo never let the Cyclones get within four points, and eventually closed out the set and match 25-14, with the winning point coming from a Fatouh ace.
Following the game, Shea, Stewart and Fatouh were surrounded by their teammates for one final moment on the court together. Individually, the three seniors had one of their best games of the season, with Stewart and Fatouh recording 17 and 12 kills, respectively, and Shea recording a season-high in assists along with three blocks.
It was a bittersweet ending to what has overall been a tough year for the Roadrunners, who finished 4-17 overall and 1-7 in NJAC play. Despite the poor record, Ramapo played better than expected entering the year, losing in close battles to teams ranked much higher than them. Coach Kwinta, who just completed his first season as the team’s coach, will have a good core to build around next season, including freshman libero Emma Garcia, who led the team with 240 digs, and junior Kathleen Bishop, who led the team with 470 assists and 41 aces. Bishop’s 470 assists were also the 15th most in a single season in Ramapo history.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @katierygielgraphics, Instagram
