MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny College volleyball team went toe-to-toe with an experienced Fredonia State team on Tuesday evening in its season opener, but the Gators ultimately fell in four sets.
Allegheny (0-1, 0-0 NCAC) received a double-double from senior outside hitter
Taylor Samuel as the Garden State native tallied a team-leading 13 kills and 15 digs. Sophomore middle hitter
Leah Franzluebbers chipped in with nine kills and added three block assists at the net.
The Gators jumped out to an 11-8 lead in the opening set after a ball-handling error by Paulina Rein, but Fredonia (1-0, 0-0 SUNYAC) responded with four of the next five points to knot the frame up at 12. Samuel briefly stopped the bleeding after an Allegheny timeout with a kill; however, the Blue Devils took the next three points to go back in front.
Fredonia would keep that lead for the remainder of the set despite a late challenge by the Gators. Two attack errors and a Franzleubbers kill cut the Blue Devils' advantage to one at 23-22, but the visitors claimed the frame after back-to-back service errors with a kill.
After dropping the second set, 25-15, Allegheny rebounded convincingly to claim the third stanza, 25-18. Fredonia claimed the first two points of the set, but a seven-point rally sparked by a pair of service aces from senior middle hitter
Sarah Swartz reversed the momentum. The advantage reached its peak at 23-12 after six consecutive points by the Gators, and the frame would be completed with a Franzleubbers kill and a Fredonia attack error.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair, but the Blue Devils benefited from some late Allegheny mistakes to win the match.
Fredonia tallied the frame's first three points, but two attack errors and a Samuel kill tied it up at three. The Gators went out in front at 5-4 with a service ace from senior outside hitter
Julia Weeks; however, the Blue Devils answered with five of the next six points to gain a 9-6 advantage.
That lead would reach four points multiple times, but Allegheny began to chip away at 19-16 as a service ace from sophomore setter
Justine Kelly and a kill from Weeks were coupled with a Fredonia attack error. After the visitors forced the Gators to burn a timeout at 21-18, Weeks found the floor on a swing and two Blue Devil misfires knotted the set up at 21.
Both teams had an answer for one another over the next eight points, but a service error and an attack error gave Fredonia both the set and match victory.
Sophomore libero
Terra Schall topped her career-high in digs with 35. Kelly directed the Gators' offensive attack with 26 assists.
Allegheny will take part in the Saint Vincent Bearcat Challenge this weekend. The Gators open up the invitational with Waynesburg at 3:00 p.m. on Friday before completing the day with the hosts at 7:00 p.m.
