Throughout history, there have been many teams who have overachieved. Then there is the Miami Hurricane volleyball team, who has taken overachieving to a whole new level. The ‘Canes took care of business again this weekend, with wins against St. John’s and Connecticut, to improve to 21-3 on the season.
Sunday’s win over UConn followed a Friday night victory over St. Johns. The two wins give the ‘Canes some breathing room between themselves and UConn, as the Miami has only one loss in the Big East, and the Huskies now have three.
“We knew UConn was a really good team and that they beat Virginia Tech, who we lost to, so today was a really big win for us,” said Elizabeth Tyson, who was second on the team with 14 kills in the match.
The Hurricanes swept past the Huskies in the first two games by scores of 30-22 and 30-18. In the final game, the Huskies improved their attack, but eventually succumbed 30-27.
Marcela Gamarra had her usual great day, leading the team with 15 kills, while both Tyson and Tipiana chipped in with 14 kills each.
“It was a huge win for our program and our season. To win this match at home against a very good UConn team, and to play the way we did, was very special,” said head coach Nicole Lantagne-Welch.
The ‘Canes were out to prove something this weekend after falling 3-0 to Virginia Tech last week. They wanted to show people that they were one of the best teams in the conference, and they accomplished that this weekend.
“We wanted to show everyone that we had a bad day vs. Virginia Tech, and that we are the best team in the Big East conference,” said Biz Tyson.
The resilience that the Miami Hurricanes have shown all season has been a big part of their success. They have not lost back to back games the entire season, and every time this team has dealt with adversity, they have risen to the occasion.
“It shows that we are mature beyond our years. We woke up from that loss and said it was time to play, and bounced back with two very nice victories after that loss,” said Lantagne-Welch.
The ‘Canes have had success at home this season, which is huge because Notre Dame comes to the Knight Sports Complex in a huge Big East contest later this month.
“You want to defend your home court, we are here 3-4 hours a day practicing, so you don’t want a team to come in here and beat you in your home gym,” said Biz Tyson.
The ‘Canes have plenty reason to be confident as the season comes down the home stretch. With a 21-3 record and an impressive Big East showing, they have every reason to believe that they can win the Big East conference.
“We are feeling pretty confident right now…. We want to go out and win every match we have in front of us,” said Lantagne-Welch.
You can reach Darren Grossman at drg215@aol.com.