Columbia, Mo. – The fourth ranked Columbia College volleyball team took the court tonight as they hosted the Hannibal-LaGrange University Trojans in an AMC matchup. The Cougars swept the Trojans (25-10, 25-8, 25-12) as they now improve to 31-3 on the season and 8-2 in conference play.
The Cougars were amped up to take the court tonight as they were celebrating their seniors. They started off the match by taking a 9-3 lead. The Cougars kept their foot on the gas as they led 19-6. Columbia quickly took set one 25-10.
The Cougars led 5-3 early in the second set. Columbia then used a 6-1 run to stretch the lead 11-4. The Cougars were in full command tonight as the score was 18-5 and the Trojans called timeout. The timeout did not phase Columbia as they rolled on to win set two by a score of 25-8.
The Trojans did their best, but there was no way to slow the Cougars down as they cruised to a 25-12 victory to secure the sweep on senior night.
Columbia was led by Barbara Sabino who tallied nine kills and Caroline Clifford added eight of her own. In addition, Clifford and Thais Andrade each had four digs, while Manuela Vargas totaled 28 assists on the night.
The volleyball team is back in action on Wednesday, October 31st, when they host the Stephens College Stars. The match is set to start at 7 p.m. at Southwell Complex.
Prior to the match, Columbia honored their seniors, Caroline Clifford, Pamela Jaime, and Barbara Sabino for all of their hard work and dedication on and off the court.
Caroline Clifford, an outside hitter from Ozark, Missouri, plans to graduate in the Spring of 2020 with a degree in Graphic Design. Since her arrival, Caroline has played in 401 games, and totaled 1,219 kills, 78 assists, 85 aces, 895 digs, and 163 blocks. Clifford was named All-AMC Honorable Mention as a sophomore, and as a junior was named NAIA Second Team All-American, First Team All-AMC, and All-Region, while also receiving Attacker of the Week four times that season. Her favorite memory as a Cougar was beating #1 ranked Westmont in 5 sets during 2016 pool play. Caroline would like to say…"First off, I want to thank my coaches for giving me the opportunity to play volleyball at Columbia College. Without you two, I would not be here. Thank you for pushing me to be the best player I can be on the court, but even more importantly, being the best person I can be off the court. You have made my time here at CC very special. To all my teammates in the past and the present, thank you for providing me with a family while we are away from ours, unending laughs, a sisterhood that will last forever, and creating one of the most competitive teams in the country. You guys hold a special place in my heart. I especially want to thank my family. My mom & dad for making nearly every game; my grandparents who watched every game online; my little brother who is my #1 fan. Your support and encouragement means the world to me. And dad, this is the last time you can shake the bleachers at CC when I make an error, so take full advantage. Last, but not least, I would like to thank Columbia College as a whole. All of my Professors, Peers, and the Athletic Department, without you, Columbia College would not be the place we all know and love. Thank you for an unforgettable 3.5 years Columbia! I love you all! We are…."
Pamela Jaime, an outside/middle hitter from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, plans to graduate in December 2019 with a degree in Psychology. Since her arrival, Pamela has played in 231 games, and tallied 568 kills, 60 aces, 168 digs, and 92 blocks. Pamela was named Second Team All-AMC as a junior. Her favorite memory as a Cougar was the day she drew herself on one of the team's shirts. Pamela would like to say… "First of all, I want to thank God for putting wonderful people in my life throughout these 2 years. I want to thank my coaches, Coach Washington and Coach Hayes, for giving me the opportunity to become part of the Columbia College Family. These amazing women have become part of my inspiration to be brave not just on the court, but in daily life situations. Thank you to all of my teammates for welcoming me and giving me their unconditional support since the first day I came here and for not letting me give up even when I didn't think I could keep going. I also want to thank the wonderful staff of Columbia College for the hard work they put in to help every single individual here to be successful. A very special thanks to Ms. Leslie and Ms. Melanie Karrick who I consider angels that came into my life to teach me the life lesson that storms do not last forever. Last, I would like to thank my family because they are my motor to keep me going, to never give up, and to always help others."
Barbara Sabino, a middle hitter from Sao Paulo, Brazil, plans to graduate in the Spring of 2020 with a degree in Sports Management. Since her arrival, she has played in 32 games, recording 206 kills, 16 aces, 43 digs, and 84 blocks. Her favorite memory as a Cougar was when the coaches told her that she was able to play and compete. Barbara would like to say… "I want to thank Coach Washington and Coach Aleah for everything they did for me to be able to play here at Columbia and for always giving me the feedback I needed to continually improve."
