MEADVILLE, Pa.—The Allegheny College volleyball team dropped a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) contest at home against Hiram College 3-0 Tuesday (Oct. 17).
Hiram won the sets 25-14, 28-26, 25-22.
The Gators opened the match on a 5-1 run. After trading points, the Terriers utilized a 6-1 run to take a 10-7 lead. Later in the set, Hiram went on a 5-0 run to increase their lead to 20-12. After the Gators won a pair of points, the Terriers closed the set on 5-0 run.
The Terriers started the second set on a 5-2 run. The Gators pulled within two at 10-8 before using a 4-0 run to take a 12-10 lead. Terriers chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the game at 15. After back-and-forth play, a 3-0 run gave the Terriers a 22-19 lead. The Gators responded with their own 3-0 run to tie the game back up. Tied at 22, the teams traded points until they were tied at 26. Hiram closed the set on a pair of errors to take a 2-0 lead.
The teams were even early on in the third set, until the Gators took a small 5-3 advantage. A 3-0 Terrier run gave them a lead at 10-9. The Gators regained the lead at 13-12. Hiram earned the lead once again at 15-14 but the Gators won three straight points to take a 17-15 lead.
With the Gators lead 17-15, Hiram went on a 4-0 run to take a 19-17 lead. The Gators kept the Hiram lead at two but the Terriers wrapped up the match on a kill, 25-22.
Leah Franzluebbers led the Gators with 13 kills.
Karissa Welker and
Hannah Cubarney had five kills apiece while
Tamara Babic had four. Justine Kelley had 19 assists while
Raelynn Dorscheid had six. Kelly also had three aces and 10 digs.
Terra Schall led the Gators with 17 digs.
Kylee Karczewski had nine digs while Welker had seven.
The Gators are back in action Thursday for the home finale against Ohio Wesleyan University at 7 p.m. The game will serve as the second annual Battle for Bridget Day. The Gators will honor former head coach Bridget Sheehan, who will be enshrined in the Allegheny Hall of Fame this Saturday after her over 30-year coaching career. The winningest coach in Allegheny College history, Sheehan was forced to take a leave of absence from her position after being diagnosed with fallopian cancer in June 2016, before she announced her retirement in March. Throughout this Thursday's match, donations will be collected for the Meadville Medical Center's Yolanda Barco Oncology Center. Additionally, the Allegheny Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be selling 50-50 tickets to benefit the center.
