MEADVILLE, Pa.—The Allegheny College volleyball team collected a 3-1 win in their home opener against Fredonia State Tuesday (Sept. 5).
The Gators won the sets 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 25-22.
Allegheny got off to a fast, winning the first three points. However, the Blue Devils answered with a 7-0 run to gain control. The Gators pushed back, eventually tying the game at 10. After going back-and-forth, the Gators utilized a 3-0 run to take a 18-15 lead and control of the set. After a Fredonia timeout, they tied the game at 22. Once again, the Gators went on a 3-0 run, culminating with a 25-22 win on an attack error.
The second set continued to see the teams evenly matched, until the Gators slowly gained a 10-6 edge. That lead eventually grew to 16-10 bringing about a timeout from the Blue Devils. The timeout helped them regain their footing as they put together a 6-0 run to bring the game within one at 20-19. After tying the game at 22, Fredonia won the final three points to take set two 25-22, evening out the match.
Similar to the second set, the third set saw the squads evenly match in the early portion. The Gators gained some breathing room with a 3-0 run to move ahead 12-9. The Blue Devils pulled within one at 16-15, before the Gators won the ensuing two points and forcing a timeout. After the timeout, the Blue Devils won the ensuing three points to tie the game at 18. Just like the Fredonia just did, the Gators rattled off three straight points to gain the momentum, leading to a 25-20 win.
In the fourth set, the Gators took an 8-5 lead following a three-point swing. The Blue Devils, however, were able to regain their footing, tying the game at 14. Once again, a 3-0 run pushed the Gators ahead, only for the Blue Devils to make up ground and tie the game at 20. The Gators won two straight points, bringing on a Fredonia timeout. Leading 24-22,
Justine Kelly sealed the match on a kill.
Offensively, the Gators were led by
Leah Franzluebbers 14 kills. Grace Lenguaer also finished n double digits with 10 kills while
Hannah Cubarney had nine. In addition to 42 assists, Kelly had a pair of aces.
Defensively,
Terra Schall had 28 digs while
Kylee Karczewski had 13. Kelly and
Rachel Slotterback had nine each. Franzluebbers finished with four blocks (two solo, two assists).
The Gators are back in action this Friday (Sept. 8) to face Bethany College and Thiel College on day one of the Allegheny Gators Invitational.
