LATROBE, Pa. – The Allegheny College volleyball team began its 2016 season with a split today at the Saint Vincent Bearcat Challenge, having opening the invitational with a loss to Baldwin Wallace before knocking off the host Bearcats in the nightcap.
Participating in its fifth consecutive Bearcat Challenge, Allegheny (1-1, 0-0 NCAC) earned its second straight victory over Saint Vincent (1-1, 0-0 PAC) with 25-15, 25-18, and 25-22 wins in three sets.
The Gators' offensive attack against the Bearcats was efficient and consistent, as they hit .277 over the match with percentages of .267, .286, and .278 across the trio of frames. Junior
Leah Franzluebbers served as the catalyst, needing just 17 swings to find the floor 13 times. Classmate
Hannah Cubarney added nine kills on 23 attempts, while senior
Bailey Gawley and junior
Karissa Welker tallied five each.
Junior
Justine Kelly began her third season as the team's starting setter with 32 assists, adding five digs and two blocks defensively. Her fellow third-years
Terra Schall and
Kylee Karczewski respectively collected 16 and 10 digs, while junior
Karissa Welker tallied nine to go along with five service aces.
Despite outhitting Baldwin Wallace (2-0, 0-0 OAC), .174 to .110, Allegheny fell to the Yellow Jackets in four sets (23-25, 18-25, 25-15, 19-25).
Both Cubarney and Welker were in double-digits for kills against Baldwin Wallace, registering 11 and 10, respectively. The Trafford, Pa. native hit at a .357 clip and only committed one error in 28 attempts. Franzluebbers added nine kills, while sophomore
Meghan Uht tallied a trio in just seven swings.
Schall collected 27 digs in the contest, finishing the day with 43 overall. Welker (16), Kelly (12), and Karczewski (11) also were in double-figures for digs, which cumulated in double-doubles for the first two.
Franzluebbers and Gawley combined for nine block assists against the Yellow Jackets. Sophomore
Rachel Slotterback served for aces in the defeat.
Allegheny continues play in the Bearcat Challenge tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. against Pitt-Greensburg. The Gators will close the invitational at approximately 5:00 p.m. against Muskingum.
