BLOOMSBURG, Pa.-Looking to run its winning streak to four, the West Chester University women's volleyball team (8-7, 1-2) took to the road on Saturday afternoon to square off against Bloomsburg. West Chester battled throughout the afternoon and captured the first two sets but Bloomsburg mounted an impressive comeback to escape with a hard fought 3-2 victory over the visiting Golden Rams.
West Chester started quickly, opening the match with a 17-7 run to take a commanding 10-point lead late in the first set. With this lead in hand, the Golden Rams withstood a 9-5 Husky run to lead 22-16 in the late stages and eventually close out the opening-set with a 25-16 victory after an
Abiah Lane (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) ace.
In the second set, West Chester and Bloomsburg traded points throughout the frame but West Chester went on a 4-0 run to take a 21-17 lead in the late stages. Bloomsburg countered with a 6-2 run of its own to even the set at 23-23 and force a Golden Ram timeout. The timeout did its job nicely as the Golden Rams halted the Husky run out of the timeout and
Lacie Brown (Cochranville, Pa./Avon Grove) closed out the set with an ace to lift West Chester to a 25-23 second-set victory.
West Chester got out to an early in the third set as well, winning six of the first nine points but the set remained tight as the two sides traded points as the set was tied at 20-20 entering the late stages. The two sides continued trading points but Bloosmburg closed out the set on a 5-3 run to escape with a 25-23 third set victory, thus, extending the match to at least a fourth set.
The fourth set remained close as Bloomsburg led 18-15 late in the set before West Chester rallied and cut the deficit to 20-19 late but Bloomsburg closed out the set on a 5-3 run to force a decisive fifth set.
In the fifth, Bloomsburg used the momentum it had gained from its wins in the third and fourth set to post a 15-9 victory over West Chester, closing out the match on a 4-1 run to storm back and earn a 3-2 victory over the visiting Golden Rams.
Julia Kwitchoff (Niagara Falls, N.Y/Niagara Wheatfield) led West Chester in kills with 13, while
Anna Richardson (Smyrna, Del./Smyrna) finished with 12 of her own. Brown had another big day for the Golden Rams in the setback, finishing with 40 assists, while also tying with
Meg Wolfe (Pine Grove, Pa./Pine Grove) for the team lead in aces with two each.
Lexy Caltabiano (Woolwich Twp, N.J./GCIT) led the way in digs with 13, while
Sydney Heffner (Bath, Pa./Northampton) picked up 12 of her own to rank second in this stat.
Marlee Johnson led Bloomsburg in kills with 18, while Sophie Wales and Emily Gustie picked up 12 each thanks in part to 47 assists from Elise Adelman, who also tied with Gusti Allison Saalfrank for the team lead in aces with two each.
Up Next:
West Chester remains on the road next week with visits to Shepherd and Shippensburg next Friday and Saturday.
