The Case Western Reserve University volleyball team has launched their season with an impressive 12-0 record, marking the best start in program history. This surpasses their previous bests of 10-0 in 2015 and 11-0 in 2010.
The Spartans competed in the annual Bishop Invitational, hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University at the Branch Rickey Arena in Delaware, Ohio on Sept. 13 and 14. They emerged victorious in all three matches, dominating the tournament. On Friday evening, they faced Albion College and secured a win over the Britons in four sets: 25-21, 25-9, 23-25 and 25-16.
“It feels surreal having such a strong start to the season,” first-year setter Avery Basinger said. “Having these wins under our belt definitely makes us more confident going into UAA play, which is coming up in a few weeks.”
Basinger recorded a season-high 10 assists against the Britons, while fourth-year captain and outside hitter Rea Marfatia led the team with 23 kills. The Spartans surged with a 10-1 run to establish an 8-point lead early in the fourth set and closed out the match by scoring on two of their final three serves, securing their 10th consecutive victory.
“I was happy that we got the win as a team and that I was able to contribute,” Marfatia said. “Having teammates that are investing into our team, not just showing up, but making an effort to contribute meaningfully at practice, lift, and in general is what allows our team to be successful.”
On Saturday afternoon, the Spartans faced the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and dominated the match, securing victory in three straight sets (25-10, 25-20 and 25-18). A standout moment was a kill by third-year middle blocker Amanda Ngo, which sparked a 3-0 run and helped the Spartans capture 6 of the final 9 points to win the second set. Fourth-year setter and right-side hitter Carly Scott contributed 27 assists and 13 digs—and with her 19th assist of the match, she became the 15th player in program history to reach 1,000 career assists. She concluded the day with a total of 1,042 assists.
“The best moment from this weekend was when [Ngo] hit a ball on the 8-foot line and the other team started to bow down to her on the sidelines,” Basinger said.
On Saturday evening, CWRU faced off against the host team, OWU, in their most challenging match of the tournament. The Spartans struggled throughout much of the first set, falling behind 15-20. However, they rallied impressively, with a 8-1 run that culminated in a 23-21 lead following a crucial kill by third-year outside hitter Kalli Wall. Despite Ohio Wesleyan leveling the score at 23-23, a decisive block by Ngo and Wall combined with an OWU attacking error secured the first set for the Spartans.
“OWU came out with a lot of energy and confidence,” Marfatia said. “It was a gritty matchup with great rallies. While it took us a while to gain momentum, we clawed back into the first set, and later into the match. As a team, and especially among the senior leadership, we understood that it would require a tremendous amount of effort and execution to get the win, and we were able to find it and come out on top.”
Ohio Wesleyan responded by winning the second set 25-20 and the third set 25-16. Undeterred, CWRU came back to take the fourth set 25-22, pushing the match into a fifth and final set. In this decisive set, the Spartans initially held the lead, but OWU mounted a strong comeback. Ultimately, Ngo and Scott delivered a dramatic block to clinch the set and the match, marking a historic victory for the Spartans and improving the team’s record against OWU to 8-5 since 2002.
“It’s so special to have a matchup with two undefeated teams,” Marfatia said. “The win was a true team effort, every person was successful in their role. It was a proud moment for our team, and it allows us to have a positive outlook going into competitive matches coming up this season.”
Basinger credits the energy and support from CWRU fans and parents as a key factor in helping the team secure their win.
“Winning against OWU was such a great feeling,” Basinger said. “We were in their home gym with their fans cheering, however our CWRU parents were loud as well to help us feel like we were at our home gym. After the game everyone was so happy and the bus ride back was so much fun as the atmosphere carried in there too.”
Marfatia believes that much of the team’s success has resulted from a renewed emphasis on the mental aspects of the game.
“We have started to focus on the mental side of the sport this season, and one thing that has helped us is recognizing that we cannot change the past, but we can be present and take the season one match at a time,” she said.
Marfatia also feels that the team’s success has been greatly influenced by the strong leadership within the squad.
“The combination of leadership and skill we have this year is special,” she said. “With a senior class of nine and three experienced and skilled captains, I think we have helped foster a supportive and team-centered environment. Our coaches work very hard as well to ensure that we are training appropriate aspects of the game and that we are prepared.”
Despite the impressive outcome of the weekend and the historic start to the season, Marfatia is dedicated to maintaining the team’s focus and ensuring that they stay grounded.
“We’re a positive team who works hard and shows up everyday,” she said. “One day at a time, we’re working to get better and as we go into conference play we’re hoping to grow more and more. I’m excited and proud to be a part of this team and I can’t wait to see our training continue to pay off.”