KUTZTOWN, Pa.- The West Chester women's volleyball team (13-6, 3-4) returned to action on Saturday afternoon at Kutztown (10-8, 4-3) and battled throughout the match, eventually taking the match to a fifth-set but Kutztown prevailed by a final of 3-2.
Similarly to a night ago opposite East Stroudsburg, West Chester and Kutztown traded points throughout the first set before Kutztown pulled ahead to a slim 23-21 lead late in the first set, prompting a West Chester timeout. Following the timeout, Kutztown was able to hold on for a 25-22 first set victory.
In the second set, Kutztown roared out to a 7-1 lead before a 4-0 run by the Golden Rams brought West Chester back within a pair. Trailing 15-10 later in the second set, West Chester went on a 9-0 run to take a 19-15 lead. West Chester would never relinquish this lead en route to a 25-23 second set victory, which was closed out by a
Brynn Dreisbach (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) kill.
In the third set, West Chester and Kutztown traded points throughout the set but it was a late-set 5-2 run by the Golden Rams, which lifted West Chester to a 28-26 third set victory and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Desperate to force a fifth set, Kutztown jumped out to a lead in fourth set, eventually going ahead 16-10 before West Chester began to cut into the deficit, eventually closing to within four at 22-18 before the Golden Bears closed out the set with a 3-0 run to force a decisive fifth set.
In the decisive fifth set, West Chester and Kutztown traded points throughout the early going but it was a late 4-1 run by the Golden Bears, which lifted the hosts to a 15-11 fifth-set victory and a 3-2 win in the match.
Dreisbach led the team in kills with 12 while
Tori Wright (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion) finished with 11 kills of her own.
Jamie Byrne (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) logged 42 assists while
Sydney Heffner (Bath, Pa./Northampton) posted 32 digs in the setback. Heffner also led the team in aces with three while Wright and
Hailey Lewis (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) tied for the team lead in blocks with three each.
As a team, West Chester hit .165 on the match while Kutztown finished with a .254 hitting percentage in the victory.
Up Next:
West Chester will return to action on Tuesday night at home vs Millersville beginning at 7 p.m.
