WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Coming off a 3-1 victory over Indiana (Pa.) at home yesterday, the West Chester University volleyball team returned to the Hollinger Field House on Saturday afternoon to battle Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest Division representative Clarion in crossover action. Despite holding a 2-1 advantage through the first three sets, the Golden Rams fell to the visiting Golden Eagles 3-2 (25-16, 25-27, 25-22, 23-25, 8-15) in a match in which Clarion held the advantage in nearly every major statistical category.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Golden Rams (18-9, 7-8 PSAC) grabbed the opener by nine (25-16), Clarion (19-9, 10-5 PSAC) answered back to tie the score at 1-1 following a hard-fought 27-25 victory in the second stanza.
- The home team responded by taking the third set 25-22, but the Golden Eagles managed to stay alive after claiming the fourth frame by nearly the identical score (25-23).
- With WCU leading 5-3 in the fifth, Clarion rattled off seven-straight points to race out to the comfortable 10-5 advantage. The Golden Rams were able to hack the deficit down to four (12-8), before the visiting team ended the match on a 3-0 run to seal the crossover victory for Clarion on Saturday afternoon.
BY THE NUMBERS
- West Chester logged a season-high 200 total attacks against Clarion and its 33 errors were tied for the most in a match this year. WCU's .115 (200-33-56) hitting percentage marked the ninth match in a row that Golden Rams failed to eclipse the .200 mark in a contest.
- Clarion's 59 kills on Saturday were the second most by a West Chester opponent this season (61, Pitt-Johnstown) while the Golden Eagles' 200 total attacks and 59 errors were both the highest by a WCU opponent during the 2018-19 campaign.
- Junior Rachel Robb (BLACKWOOD, N.J./PAUL VI) paced the West Chester offense with 18 kills on Saturday, while senior Allie Duffy (CARLISLE, PA./CARLISLE) and freshman Julia Vreeswyk (YARDLEY, PA/PENNSBURY) both logged 11 kills in the losing effort.
- Senior Jillian Grammer (CENTER VALLEY, PA./SOUTHERN LEHIGH) recorded her 19th double-double (49 assists/24 digs) of the season on Saturday afternoon and graduate student Nicki Yates' (COOPERSBURG, PA./SOUTHERN LEHIGH) team-high 30 digs represented the most scoops by the libero in the last 13 matches.
- Saturday's loss brings the Golden Rams' record against Clarion to just 1-11 dating back to the 2006 season.
UP NEXT
- WCU has its final road game of the season on Tuesday, October 30, against Millersville inside the Pucillo Gymnasium at 7:00 p.m. Following Tuesday's clash against the Marauders, the Golden Rams close out the regular season by playing their final three contests at home, starting with a divisional battle against East Stroudsburg on November 2 at 7:00 p.m.
