Dean Women’s Volleyball Takes Down Elms College in 3-1 Thriller
FRANKLIN, MA - The Dean College Women’s Volleyball team picked up their first win of the season on Thursday evening in front of fans at home. They defeated Elms College by 3 sets to 1. The Bulldogs secured not only their first win of the season, but also their first conference victory.
Coming into the matchup, Dean held a 0-12 record, while Elms entered at 2-7 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Dean opened the game strong with control of the first set and earned a narrow 25-23 set win. The remaining three sets were a battle with both teams fighting to establish control. After dropping the second set 25-19, the Bulldogs regrouped, found their rhythm, and won the third and fourth sets to close out the match.
The atmosphere inside Pieri Gymnasium added to the momentum, with many students and families in attendance cheering on the home team. The fans stayed throughout the entire match and got to celebrate the first win of the season with the team.
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Sophomore middle blocker Ali Murphy played a major role in the Bulldogs’ victory, delivering an impressive performance at the net. Murphy recorded six kills on 12 attempts, while adding five blocks. Her combination of height, timing, and precision made her threatening to Elms’ attack.
“My teammates, they're the ones that kept me out there mentally,” Murphy commented on what kept her in her “flow” state. “Last year I spent a lot of time observing and learning from the upperclassmen. It feels great to translate that on the court.”
Defensively, sophomore libero Julia Dommel helped anchor the Bulldogs’ backcourt. Dommel finished with 15 digs, tying for the team lead, and remained active across the court throughout the match. Her communication, willingness to call for the ball, and ability to make difficult saves helped Dean through long rallies. Her leadership provided stability during messy plays.
Additionally, Maddy Seymour led Dean with 14 kills, while Angelina Steiger contributed eight. Setter Emma Siniscalchi recorded 18 assists, helping keep the Bulldogs’ attack moving. As a team, Dean finished with 40 kills, 11 service aces and eight total blocks, compared with Elms’ 40 kills, eight aces and one block.
“[Looking forward to] another win!” Murphy emphasized what she’s excited for in the upcoming matches.
The next game for the Bulldogs is on Saturday, October 3rd at 11:30AM. The team will travel to New London, NH to take on Colby-Sawyer College in another conference matchup.
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