BRADENTON, Fla. – New College Women's Volleyball completes comeback to win over Webber International in their final home regular season match-up.
The Banyans captured an impressive comeback victory over Webber International in their final home match-up of the regular season. The Banyans also celebrated seniors
Cassidy Casey,
Luisa Hoffman, and
Maria Luiza Barreis before and after the game.
The Banyans offense took some time to get into the flow of the game. Dropping the first set of the evening 25-21. Following a run that put them up 10-6, the Banyans lost their footing, losing their lead and trailing 19-15 before head coach Lynn Burnett used a timeout.
Webber's firepower was too much for the Banyans in set number one, as the Warriors continued to punish New College en route to a 25-21 set one victory.
Even as they conceded set one, the Banyans looked poised to bounce back. Following another slow start to set two, which saw the Banyans trailing 18-12, New College responded with another well-timed run.
Seniors
Cassidy Casey and
Luisa Hoffman led the Banyans on an electric comeback. The Banyans scored ten straight points, roaring back to the lead as they approached the finale of set two.
The Banyans were able to hold on and capture a set two victory thanks to their defensive effort, as Senior
Luisa Hoffman and Junior
Kaja Szuba led the way.
Both teams continued to match the other in sets three and four. Webber International's defense was stout in set three, helping them maintain a lead through the entirety of the set en route to another victory.
Yet again, the Banyans bounced back in set four. After falling down 9-2 to start the set, the Banyans made yet another seemingly insurmountable comeback.
Jayleen Santiago led the Banyans to victory in set four, dominating from the outside hitter spot and showcasing her effort and intensity on multiple rallies.
The 2-2 tie led to an immense set 5 that toyed with the emotions of everyone in attendance. Again, the Warriors came out firing and jumped out to an early 7-2 lead.
Two straight Webber attack errors got the Banyans back into the set.
Luisa Hoffman and
Rafaela Domingos connected on a block to bring the Banyans within three. Webber again got their lead to four, but the Banyans didn't stop fighting.
Jayleen Santiago recorded back-to-back kills to bring the lead one. Webber got their lead back up to two before two consecutive attacking errors killed their momentum, and brought the score even at thirteen.
The next 5 minutes of play were an emotional roller coaster that had the entire gym holding their breath.
Both squads went back and forth, unable to separate from each other as both teams played far beyond the original 15-point threshold.
In the final moments of the match,
Cassidy Casey brought the Banyans to victory. Casey recorded back-to-back kills to end the match.
Austin Klokus met with
Cassidy Casey after the match to discuss the win, and what it means for the Banyans as they look ahead to postseason play.
"I am just ecstatic and electric right now, that's probably the best way to describe how I am feeling", said Casey following the win. "It felt amazing to win in that way, and I am just so thankful to Rafa for putting her trust in me in these situations, and it feels amazing to leave her with a victory.
Casey then went on to praise her other senior teammates on their performances, which were crucial to the Banyans success. "I want to give a shout-out to Luisa, my other Middle Blocker. She did her job today. I feel like she and I both being seniors, both being leaders; she always takes care of business. I feel like we operate as one unit, which has led to a lot of success this season. And we can't forget about Malu, who is an amazing back-row player. Anytime she is behind me I can trust that the ball will be up. Malu is one of the best defenders I have ever played with."
The Banyans now look ahead to the most important stretch of the season, where they face off against Keiser in preparation for a Sun Conference tournament rematch against Webber.
