MEADVILLE, Pa.—The Allegheny volleyball team hosted their first home game of the season Friday (Sept. 13) to kick off the 2019 Allegheny Invitational.
 
In their first of three games on the weekend, the Gators fell to Fredonia State in five sets (25-16, 15-25, 20-25, 25-11, 18-16).
 
The Blue Devils rode a 6-0 start in the opening set to a 25-16 win.  The Gators bounced back in set two with a 6-0 run midway through to even up the match.
 
The third set went back-and-forth early on until the Gators broke it open with another 6-0 run to move ahead in the match 2-1.
 
Fredonia tied the match with a 25-11 fourth set win to send it to a fifth set.
 
The teams traded points throughout the fifth set.  The Gators had two potential match points staved off by the Blue Devils, who ended the fifth set with a kill to win the match. 
 
Elizabeth Debich (Leechburg, Pa./Kiski Area) led the Gators eight kills.  Tamara Babic (Belgrade, Serbia/Third Belgrade), Grace Lengauer (Avella, Pa./Avella), Jyl Russotti (Rochester, N.Y./Bishop Kearney) had six kills apiece.  Raelynn Dorscheid (Macedon, N.Y./Penfield) and Olivia D'Andrea (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic) had 12 assists each. 
 
Rebecca MacQuarrie (Waterford, Pa./Fort Leboeuf) had her third 22 dig performance of the season to lead the Gator defensive efforts.  Debich was also in double digits with 12 digs.
 
The Gators return to action Saturday (Sept. 14) with home games against North Carolina Wesleyan and Thiel.