VOLLEYBALL | Weekend Pair Offers Chance for Georgetown’s First League Win

The Georgetown volleyball team (6-9, 0-2 Big East) will look to break an eight-game skid this Friday when they take on Seton Hall at McDonough Arena. But in order for that to happen, the Hoyas will have to end another long streak in the process.

The Pirates (14-1, 3-0) have now won 11 straight games — including two Big East matches — a mark that the Blue and Gray aim to end this weekend.

“We’re hungry for this game, so we’re ready for an at-home win,” sophomore middle blocker Dani White said. “We’re all in the mindset of ‘This is the week,’ [and] we’re ready for a battle.”

Head Coach Arlisa Williams agreed, asserting that Georgetown will be ready for everything that Seton Hall will throw at them.

“We’re going to make sure we’ve got some good blocking in front of them and make sure we play disciplined defense behind the block,” Williams said. “If we can take care of our side of the court, that will minimize what they’re able to do.”

Although the Blue and Gray have posted strong statistics this season, their inability to finish off close games has proved to be an issue.

But after a tough loss to Connecticut earlier this week — in which the Hoyas lost by six points and five points, respectively, in the final two sets — Williams feels that the team is moving toward putting those kinds of games behind them.

“I don’t think there’s an overnight fix, but we’re getting closer, much closer,” Williams said. “Hopefully, our efforts will be rewarded Friday night.”

Seton Hall will enter the match after a commanding win over St. Peter’s, so its confidence is likely to be at a high on Friday. The Pirates topped the Peacocks in straight sets, each by a margin of more than 10 points.

White, however, is unconcerned with Seton Hall’s previous level of play, preferring instead to focus on the upcoming match.

“It doesn’t matter what they’ve done in the past. So they’ve got an 11-game winning streak. It’s going to stop Friday because they haven’t played Georgetown yet,” White said.

Williams is also confident that the Hoyas can turn their season around, citing their defensive prowes as a strength.

“We’re out-digging opponents, and we’re playing some really good defense behind the block. I think we’ll definitely build on that,” Williams said.

Following the Seton Hall match, Georgetown will face a strong Rutgers (14-3, 0-2 Big East) team on Sunday. Like the Hoyas, they are seeking their first conference win of the season.

“We’re taking it one day at a time, one match at a time. [Rutgers is] playing really well, and we’re very aware of them,” Williams said.

In their quest to end the eight-game slide, the kills provided by sophomore Alex Johnson and consistency from players like White and senior captain Lindsay Wise matter more than ever. But Williams deems the mentality that her team takes to the court equally important.

“[The team] has heart, they’ve got desire, and they’re putting in the work to make sure we don’t continue down the path we’ve gone,” Williams said. “This group comes into practice every day and works hard.”

In line with that attitude, the team has a simple formula for overcoming its current doldrums.

“Just go after it. Get it done. You need all six players at the same time working together cohesively in order to really execute,” White said.

The Hoyas have a chance to do just that tonight at 7 p.m. The game, the second home match of Georgetown’s season, will be held at McDonough Arena.