Over the past few weeks, MCLA women’s volleyball have been on a rollercoaster of wins and losses during the matches they’ve been facing, both on their home court and in their away games. Since September 25th, they have won three of their matches and lost two. 

This is a significant improvement from the seven-game loss streak that opened their season, but heading into their most recent match on Thursday, October 10th, the women were hoping to pull out a victory – or at least, a competitive match – against Bay Path University’s Wildcats. 

At 6:00 PM on the day of the match, the bleachers of the Amsler Center gymnasium were filled with students sporting pink clothing to support the theme of that night’s game: breast cancer awareness and research. 

The volleyball women themselves were wearing alternate uniforms in a shade of baby pink to show their support in the fight against breast cancer. The other team even brought alternate pink uniforms. Spirits were high, and competition was friendly heading into the first set. 

Just before the first set started, the announcers honored player Chloie Garber ‘25 for reaching a milestone that has never been accomplished in MCLA history: being the first volleyball player at MCLA to reach 1000 career kills. She was given a bouquet of flowers to raucous applause. 

Beginning the first set of the night, Bay Path’s Wildcats served first. 

Garber started off the match strong, securing the first point of the game for MCLA and living up to her newly earned award off of the skill of one of her famous kills. 

After this, a few points were exchanged back and forth before MCLA sophomore MaKayla Schuerer ‘27 went on a serving streak, bringing the score up to 6-2 in MCLA’s favor. 

This streak did not last long, however, as Bay Path rallied together, tying the score and overtaking the Trailblazers. At a score of 9-13 in Bay Path’s favor, head coach Amanda Beckwith was forced to call the first timeout of the game – one that was, unfortunately, sorely needed. 

After a few more points from Bay Path, MCLA seemingly got back into their groove, exchanging points back and forth with the Wildcats until Beckwith, surprisingly, called yet another timeout at a score of 16-21 in the Wildcats’ favor. 

Things looked bleak for the Trailblazers, as Bay Path scored two more points and edged closer and closer to victory over the first match. A series of vicious kills from Elizabeth Brown ‘26 appeared to bring MCLA back into the game, but unfortunately, Bay Path just barely eeked out a victory over the first set with a close final score of 19-25.

Between the first and second matches, senior Cleo Murphy ‘25 said about the game thus far: “That’s the best I’ve seen the girls play at a home game, so I’m hoping they’ll be able to bring that energy into the next set.” 

It seemed as though Murphy’s wish would be fulfilled, as the Trailblazers brought an increased and apparent energy into the second set of the night. It became clear that they were not planning on going down, and certainly without making the game competitive.

The first few volleys flew by in a rush of kills from both teams (with a noticeable kill from Garber to tie the game up at 6-6). After her kill, MCLA gained another point to take the lead over the set and start a war of attrition in which they slowly, yet meticulously, scored points over the visiting Wildcats. 

At a score of 18-13 in the Trailblazers’ favor, the other team called their first timeout of the entire night. The Trailblazers and audience members alike were cheering uproariously over this turn of events, and once again, spirits were high in the Amsler Center gymnasium. 

As the women strategized during their timeout, student Monica Thyme ‘27 spoke up to say: “I brought my book with me, but I actually can’t look away from this game right now.” 

Although their timeout appeared to work out in their favor at first, the Wildcats indeed lost the second set of the night at a close score of 25-23. From the final scores of the first two sets, it appeared that both teams had come to bring it their all. 

Seeming to prove this point true, compared to the second set, the first string of points of the third set were scored at a much slower pace as both teams worked with all of their might to keep the ball from hitting the floor on their side of the court. Things did not begin to speed up again until thirteen points had gone by, split into 5 scored from MCLA and 8 scored from Bay Path. 

After the game sped up again, Bay Path would take a decisive lead over the Trailblazers. At a score of 8-14, MCLA called a timeout in order to reset the women’s mentalities and get them back into the fighting spirit they had at the start of the set. 

Emotions rose and fell in the hearts of audience members as MCLA managed to score a point immediately following their timeout before being dashed by four straight points from the Wildcats bringing Bay Path closer and closer to their second victory in the best-of-five match. 

However, MCLA did not allow these points to go unanswered. They picked up the call from Bay Path and scored six successive points, forcing the other team onto their back feet and managing to corral them into calling a timeout of their own at a score of 17-18 in Bay Path’s favor. 

Both teams would claw for the victory after the Wildcats’ timeout, but victory over the third set ultimately went to the visiting team, bringing the game to the fourth set of the night. 

Set four did not go off to a great start for the Trailblazers, as they squandered the advantage of having the first serve by instantly serving out of bounds. 

Despite their rough start, MCLA would take an early lead over the Wildcats, bringing the score to 5-2 before Bay Path pushed back against the Trailblazers’ efforts, wresting the lead back from them and once again forcing Head Coach Beckwith to call a much-needed timeout at a score of 9-14. 

During and after this timeout, the crowd proceeded to go wild in an effort to show support for the Trailblazers and rally them back into playing the dominant game they had shown streaks of thus far. Students began banging their legs against the bleachers, shouting cheers after good digs, and applauding strong kills. 

This morale boost appeared to have a noticeable impact on the volleyball women, as they scored immediately after their timeout and then slowly close the gap in points between the two teams. 

Thus proceeded a nail-biting closer to the fourth set. At 21-20 in Bay Path’s favor, the visiting team was so rattled that they called a timeout, despite still being ahead on the scoreboard. 

At 23-20 in Bay Path’s favor, MCLA called a timeout. 

Despite two long and intense rallies after MCLA’s next timeout, the other team closed out the game at a final score of 25-20, ending the match at a 3-1 victory over the Trailblazers.

Despite the fact that the match didn’t go to a tiebreaking set, Bay Path’s victory over the Trailblazers was much closer than it appeared on paper. Compared to their play at the start of the season, the Trailblazers have been finding their footing heading into the latter half of the season. 

“I hope they feel proud of themselves,” Thyme noted after the game was over. “They played a close game, and it was fun to watch.”

If you enjoy following up with MCLA’s Trailblazing volleyball women, MCLA will be hosting Fitchburg State in a conference matchup on Wednesday, October 16th at 6:00 PM in the campus center gymnasium.