WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Following a 3-1 win over Kutztown on Saturday afternoon, the West Chester University women's volleyball team (9-11, 2-6) continued its homestand on Wednesday night against local rival Millersville (11-10, 4-4). The Marauders and Golden Rams battled throughout the night, but Millersville emerged victorious, escaping Hollinger with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-19) victory over West Chester.
West Chester and Millersville traded points through the early going as the visiting Marauders got out to a 12-7 lead and eventually a 14-10 lead after West Chester cut the deficit to 12-10. West Chester countered with a 3-0 run, including a
Lacie Brown (Cochranville, Pa./Avon Grove) ace, which cut the deficit to 14-13 and prompted a Millersville timeout. West Chester continued trading runs with Millersville as the set continued, leaving the opening set tied at 18-18 entering the late stages. Millersville took each of the next two points to sneak out to a 20-18 lead and force the first Golden Ram timeout of the opening set. West Chester cut the deficit to 21-20 before another 2-0 run by the Marauders gave them a late 23-20 advantage. Millersville closed out the set quickly, winning each of the last two points to earn a 25-20 first-set victory to open the match.
West Chester opened the second set strong, winning eight of the first 11 points to force an early Millersville timeout. The timeout did its job as Millersville went on a 10-1 run following it to erase the early deficit and take a 13-9 lead early in the second set. West Chester answered this run with its own timeout, eventually halting the run as the Golden Rams stormed back to even the set at 14-14. West Chester and Millersville traded points from this juncture as the Golden Rams inched out to a 20-19 lead late, prompting a second Marauder timeout. The second timeout did its job again as Millersville found its way out to a 23-22 lead late in the set, forcing head coach
Kassie Bellaver to take her second timeout. West Chester evened the set at 23-23 with an
Abiah Lane (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) kill, but Millersville closed out the set with a pair of kills from Sam White, increasing her total to a team-high eight to give the visitors at 25-23 second-set victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.
West Chester and Millersville traded points throughout the early going as the Golden Rams held a 12-11 lead at the first timeout of the third set following a
Julia Kwitchoff (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Wheatfield) kill. Following the timeout, Millersville won eight of the next 12 points to sneak out to a 19-16 lead and force the first West Chester timeout of the set. West Chester fought back to tie the set at 19-19. Millersville closed out the match on a 6-0 run to leave Hollinger with a 3-0 victory, the Marauders' first win over the Golden Rams in West Chester since October 2019.
Anna Richardson (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna) ended the match with a team-best 11 kills, while
Lacie Brown led the way in assists and aces with 30 and four to go along with 10 digs, which was also tied for the team-high with
Macey Baum (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove).
Kylee Schurig led Millersville in kills with 10 while reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Week, Emma Ludwig, led the way in assists with 36 and aces with two while chipping in 11 digs. Madison Von Neida led the way defensively, finishing with 15 digs, while Caroline Halsey led the way in blocks with a match-high five.
Up Next:
West Chester is back in action on Saturday when it will take on Queens College (N.Y.) at 1 p.m. in Hollinger.
