Bump, set, spike:

THE SUFFOLK JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY - SEPTEMBER 24, 2008

Womens Volleyball serves for success, despite loss

By Mike Giannattasio
Journal Contributor

On September 23rd, the Suffolk University women's volleyball team played their eighth game of the season at the Ridgeway Gym. However, the outcome of the match was not what they had hoped for, as the Lady Rams fell to the Salem State Vikings in a non-conference match by a score of 3-1.

Jim Feeley, who has been coaching the women's volleyball team for nine years, said he thought his team played a hard-fought match in the loss.

"It was a good match," said Feely, who originally started out as a head coach for three years before becoming an assistant for two and finally back to being a head coach for four seasons. "We lost 3-1, but (all the sets) were close games."

The Rams, who are now 3-5 on the season, have one of the youngest teams in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The team has no seniors, only two juniors, two sophomores, and seven freshmen.

Feely said that his team may be very young, but it is not stopping them from trying to achieve their goal for the season.

"Making the playoff tournament with this team would be a really big accomplishment," said Feeley.

Feeley added that watching the older players progress over the last couple of years is what he has enjoyed the most about coaching the team.

"I've enjoyed watching the younger kids grow up," said Feeley. "The younger kids are learning some set plays (every practice). We're much more aggressive hitters than we were last year."

An example of a player who has made tremendous improvements in her first two seasons is Julie Sullivan, a sophomore from Haverhill, Massachusetts.

"Our center Julie Sullivan has improved running the offense dramatically from last year," said Feeley.

The captain of the Suffolk University volleyball team, Kelsey Armstrong-Hahn, is one of many players who believes the Lady Rams can make it to the tournament and succeed.

"I hope our team accomplishes coming together as a team, and I hope we make it to conference playoffs, and I hope we can be successful in the conference playoffs," said Armstrong-Hahn, a junior on the team from Corvallis, Oregon.

Armstrong-Hahn also added that she has had a blast playing on the volleyball team for the Rams."

I love the girls, and I think it's one of the best sports, because you always have the full support from your team," said Armstrong-Hahn.

The Rams go for their fourth and fifth wins of the season Saturday in a conference double-header at Mount Ida College, vs. Mount Ida and vs. Lasell at 10 a.m. and 12 noon respectively.

This article was published in The Suffolk Journal.
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