Devon Marunde sprawled out, her body slamming into the floor after making a spectacular dig to keep the ball flying. Sophia Hathaway swung, then she swung again, and then she swung a third time. Cha Cha Fisher dove for a dig and then saved the Panthers by recovering a Westminster block.
The Panthers did all they could in the last point of the game, but Ashley Kistaitis' game-ending tip put a halt to any hope that may have been garnered from what turned out to be a gritty, gutsy final stand for Principia. The ball hit the floor after deflecting off of Sophia Hathaway and Noelle Shoemake's desperate attempts to keep it up and it was suddenly all over.
The Panthers' scrappy, tenacious defending that has served them so well all season wasn't enough to save the game today.
There were empty faces and slumped shoulders as Principia graciously made their way through the postgame handshake line with Westminster. There was Makena Patterson, after the final point, with hands on knees and head down, simply left to try and figure out just where it all went wrong.
It was a 30 second movie titled, 'Heartbreak in Fulton.'
There's something undeniably unfair about such a special season ending in such disappointingly emphatic fashion. Principia volleyball's first appearance in the SLIAC tournament since 2013 lasted a mere 90 minutes thanks to a dominant 3 set dispatching at the hands of the Westminster Blue Jays by a scoreline of 25-23, 25-16, 25-17.
After 22 overall wins - the most in a single season since 2006 - and 14 conference victories, Principia's volleyball season is over just like that. The Panthers had a seat at the conference tournament table, but it feels like the chair was pulled out from underneath them before they could even sit down.
The first set started out favorably for Principia, with the Panthers jumping up 12-8 behind a terrific serving run from Noelle Shoemake. But Westminster battled back from there and the two teams traded points until the Blue Jays pulled away right at the end to snatch victory from what would turn out to be the closest set of the match.
In the second set, Westminster grabbed control and didn't let go. The Blue Jays jumped out to a 6-1 lead, before extending it to 16-6, 20-10 and then ending with a 25-16 score. The Westminster attack, led by Ashley Kistaitis, was out of this world in the second set, putting down 16 kills on 39 swings with only 4 errors. Combine that with the Blue Jays' smart defending all day and it was a clear recipe for success.
In the 3rd set, Principia didn't go quietly, trading points with Westminster before taking a 9-6 lead. The game completely flipped when Hannah Marshall, the Blue Jays' lone senior, went back to the serving line.
Marshall unleashed a serving barrage for the ages, the likes of which I have never seen in my entire life. She racked up 10 straight points, including a stretch of 7 consecutive aces to put Westminster in the drivers' seat of the 3rd set and all but kick Principia out of the car.
The Panthers kept battling, though, even closing the game to a 19-15 scoreline off of another Noelle Shoemake serving run, but a brilliant Allie Kennebeck back row kill stomped out the rally and Westminster rolled to the finish line from there.
Principia is now left to look back upon such a good season that ended so harshly and try to figure out what happened. "I don't think we showed our best today and pretty much beat ourselves," Sophia Hathaway said after the loss. "There's a really bitter taste in our mouths right now."
I outlined in the pregame how important team attacks would be for Principia and targeted 40-45 as a magic number for the Panthers to aim for each set. The first set, Principia garnered 48 swings, keeping that set close. From there, the total dropped to 37 and 39 swings in the second and third sets respectively. That may not seem like a big difference, but in such a tight game against such a good opponent, those 9 or 10 extra swings cost the Panthers dearly.
"Our defense was all over the place and our serve receive was too," Hathaway continued. "That didn't really allow us to get as many swings as we wanted to and that all added up."
It's difficult to have to face down a disappointing final chapter in the 'Vibe Tribe' story book but, without a doubt, there is a lot to be proud about looking back and a lot to be excited about going forward.
"We put a lot of heart and soul into this season," Emily Tippetts told me, "and I'm so grateful to have been a part of a team that has nothing but love for each other."
Senior Cha Cha Fisher echoed that sentiment before the game, saying "For me, Makena [Patterson] and Emily [Tippetts], it's the last day of our volleyball careers and I'm so proud of this team."
Fisher continued, "We're not perfect, but that's the point. We've all grown so much with each other and love each other enough to push each other to achieve that growth."
At the end of the day, 22 overall wins and 14 conference victories are nothing to frown at. This one defeat should not and will not be able to mar a special overall season for the 'Vibe Tribe.'
However, there is still a sour feeling in the pit of every player's stomach after today and that should make the team all the more stronger next season. "Now we have a taste of what it's like to be here and play in the tournament," sophomore setter Devon Marunde commented. "We have so many girls who are willing to do whatever it takes…this is Principia volleyball's standard now."
The 2017 edition of the Principia volleyball book is closed, but you're kidding yourself if you think this is the end. The 2018 season starts right now for each returning player and there should be an insatiable fire already burning underneath the a team coming back with vengeance on its mind.
Here's hoping today only pours gasoline on the flames.
