New York University's 7th-ranked women's volleyball team secured wins in both of their home matches on Sunday at the John A. Paulson Center in Manhattan.
The Violets celebrated Senior Day with a victory over Manhattanville College in straight sets before taking down the University of Scranton in four to finish the regular season with a 26-4 record.
Seniors Haley Holz, Chloe Hum, Ella Weider, and graduate students Elise Curtin and Camille Nazor were celebrated prior to the Scranton match.
"To see our seniors walk away with over a hundred career wins, a Sweet 16 appearance, a Final Four appearance, and a UAA Championship, it's incredible to see," said Head Coach Andrew Brown. "They were able to get everything out of their four years. And to see the grad students step in and acclimate has been great."
In the day's opening match, NYU led right off the bat. The Violets went on three separate four-point runs to win the first set 25-9. Nazor had five kills, Curtin followed with three kills and one service ace to secure the set.
Dominique Drust had two aces in the Violets' second set, which they won, 25-13. Holz and Chloe Lemons notched three kills each while NYU held Manhattanville to a .010 attacking percentage in the frame.
NYU trailed for the first time in the third set with the game being tied on six occasions. However, a five-point run from the Violets completed the sweep, 25-23.
Holz had nine kills while Lemons and Weider had seven kills apiece in the match. Taylor Odum had eight blocks, Weider had five, and Curtin had four in the three sets which limited the Valiants' scoring efforts.
Ava Launsbach posted 15 assists, bringing her career tally to over 1,000 (1,006).
Lindsey Hirano finished with a match-high eight digs and
Drust recorded three service aces.
"It was important to stay invested and take care of business," Brown added. "I think we did a good job adjusting to a slower tempo and anytime we're able to keep it a 3-0 sweep is a good day."
The day continued with a match against Scranton where the Violets won in four tight sets.
A block from Curtin and Weider gave the Violets game point and then a kill from Nazor sealed the deal with a 25-20 win. A 6-2 run in the final stretch gave them the set with Grace Nelson and Holz delivering five kills each.
Scranton got on the board first in set two going up 3-0 before Curtin delivered a kill to start NYU's scoring. The set was a battle, being tied 12 times, but the Violets were able to secure the second set 25-22 off an ace from Launsbach. The team produced seven blocks to hold off Scranton.
The Violets trailed early in the third but went on to outscore the Royals 12-4 to take the lead. Scranton battled back, going on a 10-1 scoring run to regain the advantage and ultimately win the third set 25-22.
"I just told the team to stay super confident and to understand the more grit and explosiveness you put into it, you're going to get rewarded," said Brown. "Regardless of the outcome of the individual point, if we increase our effort, we'll be rewarded. I think they really got that memo and they showed in the fourth set when we really took care of business there."
Tied at 9-9 in the fourth, the Violets went on a 9-0 scoring run with a trio of blocks by Weider and Curtin. NYU continued their attacking efforts, and a kill by Nazor secured the set, 25-14.
Holz again led the way with 13 kills, Nelson finished with 12 and Nazor chipped in 10. Launsbach added 25 assists, Hirano had 21 digs and Curtin had 12 blocks in the win.