West Chester Rallies For Comeback Win Against Kutztown, 3-2

Box Score

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Julia O'Brien notched a career-high 18 kills and tied a career best with seven blocks as West Chester rallied to take the final two sets and come from behind to beat visiting Kutztown, 3-2, in a PSAC women's volleyball match Friday night.
 
West Chester (12-12, 4-10 PSAC) moved into a tie for fifth place with Kutztown (10-15, 4-10) in the Eastern Division of the PSAC. The Golden Rams took the match by scores of 25-18, 23-25, 19-25, 25-18 and 15-10.
 
"This was definitely a pivotal win for us tonight," WCU head coach Kassie Bellaver said afterwards. "It's always tense heading into that fifth set, but it certainly was good to see them come out and swing."
 
The Golden Rams hit .360 in the final set with just three errors to jump out to a quick 4-1 lead. O'Brien knocked down a pair of a kills while Samantha Agostini finished off another, before Dana Markol recorded her seventh service ace of the match. Markol's serving is what got the Golden Rams back into the match in the fifth set.
 
"(Markol) definitely turned it on at the end and sent us on a couple of big runs," Bellaver added. "That was definitely huge for us."
 
West Chester hit .263 in the fourth set. However, it was Tori Hutchinson, who served up five straight points that turned a 14-11 advantage into a 19-12 lead and evened the match and sent it to a fifth and deciding set.
 
Hutchinson and Agostini combined for 52 assists on the night, sharing the setter duties. Hutchinson added five service aces and 13 digs to her team-high 27 assists.
 
West Chester put three hitters in double figures in kills. Marina Sharkey posted 12 and Agostini had another 10, including a nice reverse poke over the net from the front row that turned out to be match point. She finished with six blocks and six digs on the night as well. Sharkey hit .333 in the match.
 
Callie Krajcir registered a team-high 19 digs while Markol added 11.
 
West Chester battles East Stroudsburg Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. inside Hollinger Field House in another pivotal conference match.