Colin Richey, Sports Writer
The Griffins had a tough outing at the 2022 Western New York Invitational this past week, losing all three of their games by at least two sets. Their record drops to 2-7 on the season, and they are currently on a six game losing streak.
In head coach Tom Hanna’s first match at the Koessler Athletic Center, the Griffins faced off against University at Buffalo. After winning the first set, the Bulls took control of the game and dominated the remaining sets. Canisius ended up losing the match 3-1. Senior Ella Loussia finished with a team-high 15 kills, while freshman Ella Bourque led the team with 39 assists. Senior Bree Long entered the tournament looking to become just the 4th player in program history to record 1,500 career digs. She got one step closer, recording a team-high 22 against the Bulls.
Their next match was against Youngstown State, where Canisius lost 3-0. This was the first time these schools faced off since 2016. Loussia recorded 10 kills, extending her streak of games with double digit kills to four. Bourque once again led the team in assists with 21. Long finished the outing with 15 digs, putting her 7 away from that prestigious “1,500 career digs”.
Canisius’ final game was against Bucknell. This game fit the theme of the rest of the tournament, as the Griffins lost 3-1. Bucknell won the first set, but Canisius was able to answer back and win the second. After intermission, Bucknell took control of the match and won the next two sets.
Despite the loss, some memorable achievements were accomplished during or after the tournament. Long finished the game with 27 digs, becoming just the 4th player in program history to record 1,500 career digs. Loussia extended her streak of consecutive games with 10+ kills, recording a team-high 13. As a result, Loussia was named to the 2022 Western New York Invitational All-Tournament Team. Bourque continued to impress in the assists column, recording 36 more in the loss to Bucknell. This gives her 30+ assists in seven of her first 9 career contests.
Volleyball's next match is on Saturday, 9/17 at the KAC against the defending MAAC champions Fairfield at 12:00 PM.