Colonials Volleyball Falls to Towson Tigers Despite Comeback Effort

Tim Riordan
WRGW Sports Director

Washington, DC – The Colonials played with heart after going down in the first two sets, but their comeback effort was too little too late as the Towson Tigers captured the upset win Sunday afternoon 3-1.

The Colonials, who have now lost their last three and five of their last seven, were hoping the friendly confines of the Charles E. Smith Center would turn their luck around, but fell to 5-8 for the season against their DMV rivals.

After losing the first two sets, the Colonials were able to win a back-and-forth game in the third, thanks to a stellar performance by junior outside hitter Kelsey Newman, and came out to a fast start in the fourth set, but the Tigers came roaring back to win the game and the match.

The Colonials didn’t hold a lead once in the first two sets, as Towson came out strong on the road.  Junior opposite Victoria Williams led the way for the Tigers with 7 kills and 2 blocks in the first two sets.  She would finish the match with 15 kills and 5 blocks.  The Colonials dropped the first two matches 25-17 and 25-20.

The Colonials kept the match alive in a nail-biter of a game that saw them come out on top 25-22.  Newman led the way in this one with six kills and one block while sophomore setter Jordan Timmer made 10 assists.  On the third game set for the Colonials, Newman was able to sneak her sixth kill of the game past the Towson blockers to put it away.

George Washington carried the momentum from the third set into the fourth set jumping out to a quick 7-1 lead, but 10 errors in the game led to the Tigers going on two 6 point runs.  One of those runs came when it mattered the most.  GW, up 24-19, lost five straight game points and gave up the lead to Towson before scoring a point to tie it up at 25.  Two match points later, Victoria Williams was able to notch her 15th kill of the game and Towson put away the Colonials with a game score of 28-26.

The Colonials were led by 18 kills, 6 digs, and 1 block by Newman and 5 kills and 8 blocks by freshman middle blocker Chidima Osuchukwu.

The Colonials, in the spirit of GW Alumni Weekend, honored 10 GW Volleyball alumnae between the second and third sets.

The Colonials wrapped up their out of conference schedule with a record of 5-8.  They begin their Atlantic 10 schedule Friday, in Richmond, against Virginia Commonwealth University.  They will return to the Smith Center October 11 to take on La Salle.