For the last couple of weeks, the Massachusetts volleyball team has been on the ropes. But like a proven heavyweight champion, the squad is starting to throw some serious uppercuts to remain in the fight.

The Minutewomen kept their slim playoff hopes alive this past weekend by trouncing Atlantic 10 opponents George Washington and Fordham on the road, by scores of 3-1 and 3-0. UMass received solid performances from all over its roster, as the team won its third straight match and stayed alive in the fight for the fourth and final Atlantic 10 postseason berth. The Maroon and White carried over the success it had in its dominating victory against URI last Tuesday into the weekend matches.

“I think that any time you beat anybody 3-0, you’re playing pretty darn good,” Head Coach Bonnie Kenny said.

“[URI] definitely was a confidence builder for us,” sophomore outside hitter Nitia Small added. “We played great defense and our offense was unbelievable [this weekend].”

The Minutewomen opened up the weekend against the Colonials Friday night in our nation’s capital, and were tested but ultimately emerged victorious to gain a much-needed conference victory. The two teams battled in a tightly contested game one, as GW took a 29-27 advantage only to see UMass fight back with two straight points to tie up the match. With the score at 32-32, the Colonials’ Sarah Hokom committed two straight attack errors, giving the Minutewomen a 1-0 lead out of the gates.

Game two saw much of the same, as the hosts played UMass hard again and fought to a 25-25 score. However, the Maroon and White’s Janeen DeMarte put down two kills and Lymarie Llovet slammed home another to lead the Minutewomen into the locker room with a 30-27 victory and a 2-0 lead.

The Colonials were able to cut the deficit to one after halftime, but UMass kept the pressure on in the fourth game, and two Llovet kills with UMass leading 28-26 culminated the Maroon and White victory. GW threw down an astounding 80 kills in the match, led by sophomore superstar Ruth Lazzari’s 24 terminations, but was victimized by a not-so-spectacular 44 errors in the loss. Small (18 kills, .314 hitting percentage) and Llovet (15 kills) were the offensive stars for the Minutewomen, while four Maroon and White members contributed more than 10 digs on the defensive end, led by Michelle Spaleta’s 15 saves.

Fordham, on the other hand, provided little resistance in succumbing to the offensive attack of UMass, as the Minutewomen finished the match with a .299 hitting percentage. The dismal Rams, currently 1-12 in the Atlantic 10, were dominated in the opening game, hitting for a -.083 percentage in dropping the frame 30-18. Fordham’s offense slowly got better as each game progressed, but unfortunately for the Rams, so did the UMass attack. The third and final game was the most competitive, but the Maroon and White committed only two hitting errors and left the Bronx with the sweep.

“I’m not so sure we played as well as we did against URI, but I think we played just as hard,” Kenny said.

Small definitely was the star of the weekend for the Minutewomen, leading the team in kills both nights. She was quick to give credit to her teammates, however, for her success.

“There is no way I would have gotten all of those kills without [the team’s] defense and passing,” she said.

With one contest remaining, UMass must depend on help from other A-10 teams, as it is battling with Duquesne and Temple for the fourth and final postseason spot.

“We have one more match to prepare for,” Kenny said. “We’ve done all we can do, so whatever happens, happens.”