Women's Volleyball Drops Match in Four Sets Against Norwich University on Senior Day
The Bulldogs fell in four sets to GNAC opponent Norwich University on Senior Day. They now fall to 1-24 overall and 1-11 in the GNAC. Norwich improves to 3-17 and 1-11 in the conference.
Norwich came into this game winless in the GNAC conference and 2-17 overall. They were also below Dean in the standings, but they picked up their first GNAC win in four sets over Dean.
The Bulldogs came into this matchup fired up early and took a 6-1 lead. The Cadets had trouble finding rhythm early, giving up points due to miscommunication, service errors, and hitting errors. Norwich quickly found their rhythm and eventually tied the set at 12.
Norwich got up on Dean 17-16 and later 21-19. The back-and-forth set was tied up at 21 and then again at 24, forcing one team to still have to win by two points. The Cadets would take the first set 26-24.
In the second set, Norwich got ahead early, but Dean knotted it up at 5 and then took a 20-12 lead. The Bulldogs had all the momentum in this set and eventually would win 25-16, the largest win deficit of this match. The game was now tied 1-1.
The third set played out very similarly to the first, except Norwich came out of the gate early. The set was eventually tied up at 22 and 24, and the Cadets would win 26-24 yet again.
Now up 2-1, Norwich could have put the game away with a set win. Norwich held the lead throughout, but Dean was not making it easy. The Bulldogs fought to tie up the game at 19, but they wouldn't score again after that, surrendering the set 25-19 and ultimately the match 3-1.
Senior Olivia Mackinnon led the way on the offense with 12 kills followed by fellow senior Ariella Sullivan with six. Emma Siniscalchi also shined with 22 assists out of the 25 that the team had.
Despite the results of the game, today was more than what showed in the final stats. It was about celebrating the five seniors: Ariella Sullivan, Chloe Demaio, Valeria Cabezas, Olivia Mackinnon, and Captain Emma Siniscalchi.
Both Cabezas and Sullivan are graduating a year early but were celebrated just the same as the other three who have been here for their entire four years.
The biggest accomplishment for this group of seniors was reaching a play-in berth in 2024 after going 11-17 and 6-9 in conference play. While that was their biggest as a team, each of these seniors has had their fair share of individual achievements that have aided the team in the 3-4 years they have been here.
In four years, Siniscalchi eclipsed 560 assists over her tenure as a Bulldog, Demaio hit 372 kills, and Mackinnon recorded 316 digs and 137 kills. Siniscalchi also served as a captain this year.
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"I think the biggest thing I have taken away from this program is that the people and the memories are what truly matter. I came into Dean wanting to play volleyball and compete, but I am leaving with so much more than that," Siniscalchi noted. "We have watched each other change, struggle, succeed, fail, and become the people we are today. Volleyball has taught me a lot about being an athlete, but this program has taught me even more about being a good person. It has taught me how important it is to show up for people, to love people through hard moments, and to always be willing to grow."
Despite a changing team every year, there has been one constant for all the seniors throughout their time at Dean College. Head Coach Mark Ledwich has been their coach for every season, which can't be said for most of the athletic teams at Dean, who have had a lot of turnover in the last four years. Ledwich has been the women's and men's head volleyball coach since 2021.
Siniscalchi made this known saying, "I also can't talk about this program without thanking Coach Mark. He has always been someone who shows up for us, even when it means taking on more than he can chew. He constantly goes above and beyond, gives so much of himself to this team, and does things that we probably don't always recognize in the moment. I am so grateful that I got to have a coach who cared about us not only as athletes, but as people. I hope he knows how much of an impact he has had on all of us."
Despite not having the success they have wanted over the years, excluding their 2024 season, this team has learned a lot on the court.
Mackinnon pointed this out saying, "The biggest thing I’ve taken from Dean volleyball is mental fortitude. I’ve had games where I made a hitting error or got aced and had to reset on the very next serve. That’s where I learned to let go of a mistake quickly, trust my preparation, and stay composed when the score is close. Four years of that taught me that pressure is something you can train for, and that confidence comes from showing up and doing the work. I’m leaving with a resilience that will carry me well beyond the court."
For Cabezas and Sullivan, they had also had their own achievements in their three years with Cabezas notching 57 kills and 45 digs in 88 sets, while Sullivan hit 32 kills and 67 digs in 82 sets played.
When speaking with Mackinnon and Siniscalchi, they all had similar answers to their favorite moment on this team. It was not one moment that captured four years of hard work, strength, and determination. It was the relationships that were forged along the way and the memories that were made on and off the court.
Siniscalchi mentioned, "It was all of the little moments that I wish I could freeze in time. It is the bus rides, the locker room, the celebrations, the tears, the stupid jokes, the late nights, the practices where we were exhausted but still found a way to laugh, and the moments where we simply showed up for each other. It is looking around and realizing that these people became my family."
She went on to speak about how as her time is coming to an end, she realized that every year has been different and each year has brought new people to the team. It was always more than what was on the final score sheet. She noted, "I will probably forget certain scores and statistics, but I don't think I will ever forget the people who stood next to me through all of it."
Mackinnon took a slightly different approach with her response, highlighting an off-court team bonding activity. "My favorite memory isn’t a match. It’s our team escape room in Maine. We’re competitive people, so nobody was holding back, and when we all got out, the celebration was just as loud as the competition. It felt like our best volleyball: communicating under pressure, trusting teammates, and wanting to win together. That day showed me what makes this team special."
Although it was not a volleyball activity, the team couldn't help but bring their competitive flare to the escape room. It also exemplifies the relationships off the court and the way the team has built up their rapport even when they aren't playing the sport.
As for the rest of the season, women's volleyball is not done yet. Although this is their final home game, they will be on the road on November 3rd at Westfield State University and November 5th at Albertus Magnus.
With the end on the horizon, the seniors reflected on what they wanted the end of their season to look like.
Mackinnon noted, "I want to enjoy these last matches with my teammates and set an example for the younger players about effort and attitude, so the program keeps growing after I graduate. When I walk off the court for the last time, I want to know I gave everything I had."
Siniscalchi said, "More than anything, I just want to be present. I want to slow down and appreciate every practice, every point, every celebration, every huddle, and every second I get to put on this jersey with these people. I want to leave knowing that I gave everything I had and not just for myself, but for my teammates and for this program. And even though this chapter is ending, I know the people and the memories we made here will stay with me long after the final whistle."
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