FREDERICK, Md. – The Hood College women's volleyball team fell in a back-and-forth match against Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth opponent Albright, closing out the 2024 season with a 3-2 loss.
Set Scores
The Lions won 25-19, 19-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9.
Inside the Box Score
Ann Ofoegbu (Falling Waters, W.Va./Spring Mills) led the Blazers with 17 kills.
Ainslee Barger (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) finished with a team-leading 20 assists, finishing her career one shy of 1,000.
Katie Goddard (Keedysville, Md/Boonsboro) picked up 19 digs in the match.
Madison Powell (Midlothian, Va./Manchester) ended the evening with five blocks.
How it Happened
The first set was a battle of runs, as Hood took three points in a row to take a 7-4 lead early, but Albright responded by picking up six of the next seven to put the Blazers in a 10-8 hole. Although Hood would tie it up two points later, the Lions began slowly pulling ahead with multiple three-point runs as the set continued. With the score sitting at 24-17, the Blazers could only take the next two points before the visitors took a 1-0 match lead.
Set two was evenly matched for a vast majority of the time as Hood looked to even things up, as neither squad could find any offensive momentum for more than a few rallies as the sides found themselves tied at 16. With the Blazers holding a slight 19-18 lead shortly after, they would go on a five-point streak and put themselves in position to win the set, with Ofoegbu getting the final kill and knotting things up 1-1.
Hood carried the momentum into the following set, jumping out to a 12-8 lead after some early point exchanging, stretching their lead to 19-13 at its peak. Albright would not go away quietly though, putting together a 6-2 run to get within two before tying the game at 23. After a Lions error gave the Blazers the chance to win it with 25, Ofoegbu came through once again and put her team in position to win their season finale.
Unfortunately for Hood, the win would not come that easily, as Albright put on pressure with a 9-6 start to the fourth set. Although the Blazers managed to get within two points later in the set, they could not get enough momentum to tie things up, as the Lions ultimately finished the set out to force a decisive fifth set.
With stress running high in the building, Hood seemed to be calm and collected with a 3-0 start to the season finale. That would be the only lead they would have in the set though, as Albright picked up the next four points to take control, and despite a
Cam Madden (Carlisle, Pa./Big Spring) kill tying things at four, the Blazers could not find their footing the rest of the set, with the Lions controlling play the rest of the way en route to Hood's 3-2 defeat.
For the Opponent
Neve Straff led Albright with 13 kills and six aces.
Paola Mejias totaled 41 assists.
Notes
The Blazers finish their season 9-18 (1-6), while the Lions close out the year 17-7 (2-5).
Up Next
Hood will return for the 2025 season.
