The women’s volleyball team made history before even stepping on the court for their Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) semi-final matchup with Washington & Jefferson on Nov. 9.
The Cougars became the first team in Chatham University history to be the first seed in the PAC heading into the postseason.
“It was awesome making Chatham Athletics history.” Amelia Bogovich ‘24 said. “I can’t wait to see how many people come out on Saturday.”
The Cougars also made history after beating the Presidents in straight sets to win the match 3-0. They will be the first Chatham team to host a PAC Championship game as they play Bethany College at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in the Athletic and Fitness Center (AFC).
“We’ve been working on it for so long and we’ve always dreamed of this,” Alyssa Leskovac ‘26 said.
They began their playoff journey Thursday night hosting the Presidents in a packed AFC. The theme for the night was “blackout,” and the purple seats of the gym were hidden by the black clothing of members of the Chatham community.
“This, the support tonight from the fans and everybody, that’s what it’s about, right,” head coach Joseph Bortak said. “We didn’t need to have to really manufacture a lot of the energy because the crowd brought that.”
The energy from the crowd was well-received by the players on the court.
Chatham women’s volleyball makes history as they will be the first Chatham team to ever host a PAC Championship with their 3-0 win over Washington & Jefferson tonight! pic.twitter.com/LIiy89ASeN
— Carson Gates (@Gatesy35) November 10, 2023
“It was a lot of fun looking into the crowd after a good play and seeing how excited everyone got,” Leskovac said.
While the energy inside the AFC was raucous, the team did what they did all season long; they stayed focused.
“We take it one point at a time and practice one drill at a time, one day at a time,” Borak said. “I love the composure that I saw tonight in the semifinals.”
Stat leaders for the night were kills by Jena Williams ‘24 with 11, Leskovac led the team with 4 aces, Becca Gesner ‘27 had 7 blocks, 15 assists by Ava Plunkard ‘27 and Meghan Dominek had 15 digs.
Saturday, Nov. 11 will be a busy day for Chatham sports fans. The men’s basketball team hosts Mount Union at 2 p.m. in the AFC, and the men’s hockey team plays Utica College at 3 p.m. at the Hunt Armory.
The day will be rounded out with the women’s volleyball PAC Championship at 7 p.m. as Bethany College faces Chatham in the AFC.
The AFC is expected to be packed, so arrive early, and check @chathamu_vball on Instagram for updates on the game’s theme for fans.
