To kick off the 2015 fall season, the women’s volleyball team traveled to Central Connecticut State University to compete in the Blue Devil Classic, the first of their three travel tournaments. The opening tournament consisted of matches against New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Aug. 28, as well as Central Connecticut State and Fairfield University on Aug. 29. The Orange and Blue ended the tournament winning a total of two out of three matches.

“I thought we had a very successful weekend especially since it was our first time playing with the freshmen. I think they did an amazing job of coming in and trusting the older girls and, more importantly, being confident in everything we learned during preseason,” Luz Nagle ’18 said.

Overall, this was an exciting start to their year and an improvement from last season’s statistics.

The Bison began the weekend with a strong win, finishing 3-0 over NJIT. Karen Campbell ’16 led the Bison with 11 kills on 16 total attacks. The Orange and Blue posted a .301 hitting percentage, a clear example of their improvement from the 2014 season. Other impressive performances include Hailey Stout ’18 with nine kills and 10 digs. Stephanie Occhiogrosso ’19 and Blake Buchholz ’19 proved to be impressive additions to the team, tallying eight kills apiece. Additionally, Meghan Wentzel ’16 executed 30 assists for the Bison along with claiming one of the team’s four aces.

Day two of the Blue Devil Classic began with disappointment for the Bison, as they fell to Central Connecticut State 3-1. The host team beat the Bison 25-19, 19-25, 27-25, 25-20.

“Obviously we would have loved to go 3-0 for the weekend, but this means we still have some things to work on. Our connections are improving and we’re becoming more comfortable playing with each other,” Wentzel said.

Despite a dispiriting morning, the women fought to win their third and final match of the tournament against Fairfield University. Notable performances include Stout, who paced the Bison’s offensive attack with 12 kills and 12 digs. Wentzel tallied a total of 30 assists throughout the match.

“Overall, I think this weekend was a good basis for the season. But like any team, we still have a lot of room for improvement and will use this experience and every future game as an opportunity to learn and grow,” Nagle said.

The Orange and Blue will continue their season on Sept. 4-5 at the SHU Hampton Inn Shelton Invitational in Fairfield, Conn., where they will face Brown and Hartford.