Terriers Can Decide NEC's 2014 Women's Volleyball Champs

By the only measure that counts—wins and losses—it’s been a challenging year for St. Francis Brooklyn women’s volleyball and its first year coach Abra Rummel. After an encouraging start to the 2014 season—including wins in two of their first seven matches—the floor has dropped out on the Terriers. Winless (0-12) in Northeast Conference (NEC) play and suffering through a 22-match losing streak, Rummel‘s team (2-26) may be looking to put this year behind them.

A victory on Saturday against visiting Robert Morris, the NEC’s second place team, would transform the Terriers’ mood from one of despair to elation.

Coach Rummel, who has stayed consistently upbeat despite a difficult inaugural campaign in Brooklyn Heights, understands how significant a Terrier win on Saturday would be.

“Our players are excited to play against one of the top teams in the conference,” the Terrrier coach said via email about playing the Colonials. “A victory against them would be a great way to finish off the season and would also give our kids some confidence as we enter the off-season.”

St. Francis may be catching Robert Morris at the perfect time to spring what would be the biggest upset in recent NEC volleyball play. The Colonials (13-15; 11-1 NEC) are likely looking past their 1 p.m. match against the Terriers at the Generoso Pope Center to a showdown the next day versus the NEC-leading Blackbirds at LIU Brooklyn’s Steinberg Wellness Center.

Trailing LIU (21-6; 12-0) by a single match, a RMU win on Sunday would not only end the Northeast Conference’s single longest regular season winning streak—currently LIU has captured 44-straight matches as well as back-to-back NEC championships—it might allow the Colonials to leapfrog the Blackbirds in the conference standings and end the Blackbird’s streak of hosting three-straight NEC Women’s Volleyball Tournaments.

LIU has it’s own business to take care of on Saturday; a 1 p.m. home match against third place St. Francis, PA (11-15; 7-5 NEC). A Robert Morris loss to St. Francis Brooklyn and a win by LIU over the Red Flash will allow the Blackbirds to back into a fourth-straight Northeast Conference regular season title.

Despite mounting losses, the Terriers may be close to breaking through in conference play. Earlier this month St. Francis took host Central Connecticut State to five seats before dropping a heartbreaking decision (14-25, 25-21, 25-9, 22-25, 15-6).

If St. Francis comes up short on Saturday, the Red Flash of St. Francis, PA will be at the Pope Center on Sunday at 1 p.m. giving the Terriers one final chance to get a NEC win before the 2014 season draws to a close.

PHOTO CAPTION: St. Francis Brooklyn Freshman Brooke Haliscak elevates for a kill
PHOTO CREDIT: Bob Dea