WEST CHESTER, Pa.-Reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Week
Hailey Lewis (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) turned in another strong effort on Friday night, finishing with 11 kills to lead West Chester (12-1, 2-0) to a 3-0 victory over Lock Haven (1-12, 0-2) in the Golden Rams PSAC East home opener.
West Chester opened the first set with a quick 4-0 run, which included kills from
Tori Wright (King of Russiaa, Pa./Upper Merion) and
Elise Smith (New Market, Md./Oakdale) before eventually stretching its lead to 11-4 early in the set. West Chester continued to extend its lead, eventually leading 14-6 before Lock Haven burned its first timeout of the set. Following the timeout, West Chester continued to extends its lead, taking a 20-8 lead late in the set en route to a 25-9 first set victory.
As a team, West Chester hit an impressive .483 through the opening set while holding Lock Haven to a -.036 hitting percentage in the first set to open the match with a victory.
Lock Haven worked to battle back early in the second set, briefly holding a 3-2 lead before a 4-0 run by the Golden Rams erased the deficit and gave West Chester a 6-3 lead. West Chester continued its run, eventually stretching its lead to 11-4 in the second set, which prompted another quick Lock Haven timeout. Following the timeout, Lock Haven was able to win four of the next five points, closing the deficit to 12-8 before a Wright kill halted the run and gave West Chester a 13-8 lead.
The two sides continued to trade points but it was West Chester who was able to hold a 15-10 advantage midway through the second set. Lock Haven continued to try and claw its way back into the set but a 4-0 run by West Chester allowed the Golden Rams to take a 20-14 advantage late in the set and prompt the second Lock Haven timeout of the set. The timeout had its desired impact, at least initially, as it was able to stem the tide and allow Lock Haven to fight back into the set with a quick 2-0 run before a ball-handling error gave West Chester a 21-16 advantage.
Hailey Lewis (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) closed out the set with an ace to give West Chester a 25-17 second-set win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Lock Haven took the first point of the third set before West Chester countered with a 4-0 run, which included back-to-back aces by
Sydney Heffner (Bath, Pa./Northampton) before a Lock Haven run gave the Bald Eagles a 10-6 lead early in the set. West Chester stormed back with a 7-0 run to take a 13-10 lead and prompt a Lock Haven timeout. Following the timeout, West Chester continued to ride the hot hand of
Hailey Lewis, extending the lead to 15-10. Lock Haven went on a brief 2-0 run before a service error halted the run and gave West Chester a 16-12 lead. West Chester continued to extend its lead, eventually rolling to a 25-18 third-set victory and a 3-0 win in the match.
Jamie Byrne (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) turned in a strong effort in her usual way, finishing with 28 assists along with 11 digs and a pair of blocks while
Nicole Dimiris (Hockessin, Del./Saint Marks) led the way in blocks with seven.
Sydney Heffner (Bath, Pa./Northampton) led the way in digs with 13 digs while also registering a team-best two aces.
As a team, West Chester hit .234 on the night thanks in large part to a great first-set effort while holding Lock Haven to a -.085 hitting performance in the Golden Ram victory.
Up Next:
West Chester is back in action tomorrow vs Bloomsburg inside Hollinger Field House beginning at 2 p.m.
