2008 Woodie Awards
Rams turn up the heat
Rich Parenteau
Issue date: 10/27/04 Section: Sports
No one told the Suffolk women's volleyball team that summer ended over a month ago. The Lady Rams have been absolutely on fire the last two weeks, frying up the competition in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.
Suffolk had been living under .500 for most of the season and at one point reached a low mark of 5-10, which was capped off with a dismal six game losing streak.
The Rams had not gone through such a stretch since the 2002 season, in which they ended the year by dropping six in a row.
This is where the Lady Rams stood only two short weeks ago. Now, with only three regular season games left and the playoffs looming, the team finds itself in the thick of a postseason positioning battle atop the GNAC standings.
The Rams went into their Tuesday, Oct.19 match against Rhode Island College having won three straight, two of which came against conference opponents.
Suffolk put up a fight but was knocked off the winning path, getting swept out of Rhode Island 0-3.
The Lady Rams didn't have much time to get over the loss, nor did they need it. The following night Wednesday, Oct. 20 Suffolk came back with a shutout against winless Pine Manor College. This win would mark the beginning of another three game winning streak for the Lady Rams, their second in the last two weeks.
Two more conference opponents strolled into Regan Gymnasium on Saturday, Oct. 23. The Rams, who looked strong in each match, took on Daniel Webster College first. Suffolk dropped only the second game against the Eagles and took the match 3-1.
Later in the afternoon, Simmons attempted to take down the Rams but proved to be no match against Suffolk.
The Lady Rams bolted through the match, going up by as much as seven in game two and 13 in game three. Suffolk swept up for the seventh time this season, defeating Simmons 3-0.
Junior co-captain Katie Hemlin totaled 15 aces and 29 digs in the Ram's last four games. Freshman Noel Moran also chipped in with 14 aces and averaged 2.3 kills per game during the stretch.