Up and comer Jaros leads Bears in sweep over visiting Vikings

10/01/2014

By Chris Medeiros

Sports Editor

Freshman middle hitter Christina Jaros goes up for a spike against visiting Salem State. Photo courtesy of Michael Holbrook. — Freshman middle hitter Christina Jaros goes up for a spike against visiting Salem State.
Photo courtesy of Michael Holbrook.

The BSU Bears varsity volleyball team took care of business against Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) rival Salem State University (SSU), winning 3-0 (25-11, 25-9, 25-21) at home in the Tinsley Center on Saturday.

“The strength of our team comes from the strong work ethic and play-every-point mentality the team has created for themselves,” said Bridgewater State volleyball Head Coach Elizabeth Morris after her team’s strong game.

Led by freshman middle hitter Christina Jaros, the Bears had no problem at all defeating the Vikings, improving their record to 11-6 on the season. Meanwhile, the struggling Vikings fell to 1-5 on the year.

Jaros has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears all season and she continued her hot play against SSU, en route to earning her second Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Volleyball Rookie of the Week honors.

The 6-foot Plymouth native was a force on the court and gave the visiting Vikings a ton of issues at the net. Jaros set the bar for her fellow Bears, finishing the night with nine kills, four digs, an ace and a solo block. She also posted a .389 hitting percentage in the contest.

Jaros is a dominant player around the net, currently leading the MASCAC with 19 assisted blocks. She also ranks 2nd in total blocks and third in solo blocks. Jaros has accumulated 78 kills, 16 digs and 33 blocks (14 solo) on the year.

“The freshman who play in MASCAC games always impress me,” said Morris. “They play with less stress and allow the intensity of the game to bring out their best play.”

The Bears also got a strong contribution from sophomore setter Charleyne Panner, who finished the contest with 17 assists and eight digs. Sarah Mullarkey was also solid for the Bears, posting four kills, four assists, and 12 digs.

Not only did the Bears play strong around the net, but they also had a good service game, notching 10 aces. Seniors Rebecca Morse and Lisa Vega had three aces each.

The Bears really had no trouble in this one, winning two strong games in a row against the last-place Vikings before the visitors put up some resistance in the final game of the match.

However, the Bears held their ground and despite being up 2-0 were able to stay motivated and close out the match in a clean sweep.

“Home games always bring excitement and pride to the team,” says Coach Morris. “The BSU community is always supportive and provide a strong feeling of encouragement and confidence to the team.”

The Bears will look to continue their strong play when they play in Providence at the Johnson & Wales invitational this Friday.

Chris Medeiros is the Sports Editor for The Comment. Email him at cmedeiros@student.bridgew.edu.