When it comes to volleyball seasons in Suffolk’s history, the 2019 campaign can go down as one, if not the best.
In his second season Scott Blanchard navigated a 16-player roster through a 30-match regular-season slate that opened at a highly competitive Babson Invitational. Despite sweeping the season debut against Maine Presque Isle, the Rams fell in straight set setbacks to Manhattanville and then-No. 20 Babson to sit 1-2 early on.
Things turned around quickly for the blue-and-gold as it won 10 of its next 13 matches to hold an 11-5 mark through September.
Half of those victories were decided in five sets and foreshadowed a season that the Rams would not falter when going to the fifth and deciding set, winning all seven outings that were determined by a 3-2 score.
That seventh 3-2 win, which came over Saint Joseph’s (Maine) November 2, proved to be historic in its own right. It was the Rams’ 19th triumph of the campaign, which made the 2019 squad the winningest in the 24-year history of the program, displacing the previous mark set by the 1997 squad, who went 18-3.
The milestone moment versus the Monks sealed a 19-11 regular-season mark and the best league ledger of 9-3 since joining the GNAC ranks in 1996. Thanks to their efforts the Rams earned the fourth seed, the highest finish since matching that number in the 2005 conference tournament field, and hosting rights for the second time in program history, first since 2005.
In the conference quarterfinals, Suffolk hit the 20-win mark for the first time as it swept fifth-seeded Colby Sawyer to advance to the semifinals for the second time in as many years and second time in the Rams’ record books.
The semifinals sent the blue-and-gold to conference powerhouse then-No. 21 Johnson & Wales, who ended Suffolk’s remarkable season in straight sets.
THROUGH THE LENS
Suffolk partnered with the Go4TheGoal Foundation, an organization that raises funds to help fight pediatric cancer and support the families affected by the disease, in a Lace Up for Pediatric Cancer event in its home tri-match with Norwich and Western New England September 28.
The Rams collected donations for the cause throughout the day that the blue-and-gold swept, defeating the Cadets in straight sets and the Golden Bears, 3-2.
JOHNSON GARNERS ALL-REGION, ALL-GNAC
Harmony Johnson had a standout freshman campaign as the setter directed the Rams’ 10.41 kills per set offense with 8.20 assists per set en route a spot on the New England Women’s Volleyball Association (NEWVA) All-Rookie Team and All-GNAC Third-Team, respectively.
Over 31 matches, she handed out 836 assists including 38 in the GNAC Quarterfinals sweep of Colby Sawyer, Suffolk’s first-ever home playoff victory. The first-year, who was named GNAC Rookie of the Week on four occasions, produced a double-double five times and surpassed the 40-assist mark three times, highlighted by career-high showing of 49 in a 3-1 victory over Regis, Oct. 23.
FABIANO SECURES THIRD-TEAM ALL-GNAC
Hannah Fabiano continued to make her presence known on both ends of the ball and it was proven with her second all-conference accolade in her career with a spot on the All-GNAC Third-Team. The junior from Litchfield, New Hampshire, produced a team-best 2.89 kills per set and 2.01 digs per set along with 0.40 aces per set. The captain hit the double-double mark seven times on the season.
HEY NOW YOU'RE AN ALL-STAR
Sarah Mullahy secured her spot as one of the all-time greats in Suffolk volleyball history as the first-ever student-athlete to be named a participant in the New England Women’s Volleyball Association Senior Classic All-Star event. She contributed 1.77 kills per set to the Rams’ 10.41 kills per set offensive attack. The middle blocker was also tall at the net with 44 total blocks, good for second on the squad, to go along with 29 aces from the service line.
Mullahy, who captained the team this season, was a diligent student that found the time to represent and be committed to her team, while also being connected to her studies en route to a spot on the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
The all-sportsmanship team was established to honor one player from each team in the conference outstanding dedication to sportsmanship and for their portrayal of good sportsmanship, fair play, and a positive attitude.
milestone Marcellus
In a 3-0 setback at Rhode Island College, Dakhensey Marcellus became the second-ever Ram to hit the 1,000-dig marker. The junior finished the outing with 12 digs, the exact number she needed to eclipse the 1K dig record. The Brockton, Massachusetts, product joins Colbey Kennedy in the 1,000-dig club and was the first Suffolk student-athlete to accomplish the feat since 2013.
TOURNAMENT TEAM
Stephanie Rheaume earned GNAC All-Tournament Team honors for her outstanding effort of 12 kills over two matches with a .375 hitting percentage at middle blocker in the Rams’ 14th trip to the conference post-season.
In the first home playoff match since 2005, and second in program history, the Hampton, New Hampshire, local recorded seven kills, on a .357 connection rate to go along with a three-block effort at the net to help sweep Colby Sawyer in the quarterfinals.
Two days later in the semifinals at JWU, Rheaume provided five kills, one assist and one dig versus the then-No. 21 Wildcats
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS JONES-CRAIG
In her first year at Suffolk, Chryssabella Jones-Craig took advantage of the NCAA Division III opportunities of being a well-rounded student-athlete and studied abroad at Suffolk’s Madrid campus this spring.
She journaled her time, while stamping her academic passport, in Rams’ Round the World pieces.
SENIOR SALUTE
Prior to first serve in the regular-season finale, a GNAC tri-match with Simmons and Saint Joseph's (Maine) November 2, Suffolk volleyball honored its two members of the Class of 2020 in a Senior Day Ceremony at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court.
