SANDUSKY, Ohio -- The Allegheny college volleyball team split its first two matches of the 2022 season on Friday night, as the Gators took down Capital University in straight sets before falling to Adrian College in a hard-fought five-set contest.

Allegheny 3, Capital 0
Individually, junior outside hitter Emma Chambers (Stoutsville, Ohio | Amanda Clearcreek) led the Gators on the offensive side of the ball with a team-high-tying eight kills. Chambers committed just one error, as she hit a team-best .538. Cheyenne Wilson (Chico, Calif. | Pleasant Valley) matched Chambers with eight kills and was one of three Gators with double-digit digs (13), joining first-year defensive specialist Jacy Diaz (18) and senior Cetta Panza (10).

Another third-year hitter, India McCruter (Columbus, Ohio | Hilliard Davidson) produced seven kills and was a force at the net. McCruter led Allegheny with four total blocks, including a pair of solo rejections. 

Adrian 3, Allegheny 2
Despite having more kills (53-to-52) and aces (8-to-5), Adrian outlasted Allegheny in a five-set showdown: 25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 18-25, 15-11.

Wilson and Kendall Crum (Chattanooga, Tenn. | Girls Preparatory) were both dominant, as both had double-digit kills with just one error. Wilson amassed 13 kills to go along with five aces and four total blocks. Crum had 12 kills with a team-high .423 attack percentage.

McCruter and Dagney Javes (Frederick, Colo. | Dawson School) each had six total blocks for the Gators. Meagan Robare (Moon Township, Pa. | Moon Area) handed out 21 assists in the second match of the night, while Leah Ungashick (Akron, Ohio | Coventry) provided 13 more.

Inside the Box: Allegheny vs. Capital

• Both teams had an equal number of blocks (6) and digs (63).
• Allegheny finished with advantages in kills (37-to-29) and aces (6-to-4).
• The Gator defense prevailed in the first set, as the Comets were held to a negative attack percentage (-.071).
• Wilson and Chambers paced Allegheny with eight kills apiece.
• Panza was responsible for four of Allegheny's six aces.
• In her first collegiate match, Diaz logged a team-high 18 digs.
• Ungashick and Robare split setting duties, finishing with 14 and 12 assists, respectively.

Inside the Box: Allegheny vs. Adrian

• The most lopsided set of the match went to the Gators in the fourth, 25-18.
• In that set, Allegheny hit a match-best .391 with 10 kills and just one error.
• Wilson (13) and Crum (12) led the way with team highs in kills.
• Together, Wilson and Crum combined for 25 kills on 60 attempts with only two errors.
• Robare facilitated most of the attack with 21 of Allegheny's 39 assists.
• Diaz continued to provide excellent defense with a team-best 20 digs.
• In total, five Gators finished with double-digit digs against the Bulldogs.

News and Notes

• Allegheny won its season-opening match for the first time since sweeping Grove City College on September 1, 2017.
• The Gators now lead the all-time series against Capital, 8-7.
• Friday's match against Adrian was the third in the all-time series between the Gators and Bulldogs and the first since 2005.
• Adrian now leads Allegheny in the series, 2-1.
• Krum's 12 kills against Adrian tied the second-highest single-match total of her career.

Up Next
Adrian returns to action at the Great Lakes Crossover with a 10:00 a.m. match against Defiance on Saturday, September 3, and a 2:00 p.m. bout against Oberlin later that afternoon.