HIRAM, Ohio – The Allegheny volleyball team traveled to Hiram Saturday (Sept. 28) and collected a sweep in a tri-match against Wooster and Hiram in nonconference matches. 
 
The Gators defeated Wooster in straight sets before a thrilling five set win against Hiram. The two wins increased the Gators win streak to 10 games.
 
Game One - Allegheny 3, Wooster 0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-23)
 
The Fighting Scots jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the opening set, but the Gators fought back to tie it at 16. A pair of kills by Sydney Kirk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle Catholic) put the Gators in front. After Wooster tied it at 18, Kirk once again had a pair of kills to re-establish the Gator lead. The Gators maintained that lead the rest of the way as they won the opening set 25-21.
 
After back-and-forth play to start the second set, the Gators put together a 6-0 run to take control, 17-10. Leading 23-18, a kill by Skyler Fatola (Queen Creek, Ariz./Eastmark) followed by an Angelee Bawek (Goodyear, Ariz./Estrella Foothills) ace gave the Gators the second set.
 
Once more, the teams were evenly matched until a 4-0 Gator run midway through put Allegheny in front 18-13. Wooster brought the game within a point late in the set, 22-21, but the Gators scored two straight to earn a match point. The Scots fought off a pair of those points before a Kirk kill gave the Gators a 25-23 set win and captured the match.
 
Inside the Box

• Kirk tied the team lead with 12 kills.
• Dagney Javes (Frederick, Colo./Dawson School) also had a dozen kills with two aces and two blocks.
• Bawek finished with 11 kills, nine digs and two aces.
• Fatola had five kills.
• Meagan Robare (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) tallied 21 assists while Izzy Gray (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) had 16.
• Jacy Diaz (Barranquitas, Puerto Rico/Gallatin (Tenn.)) led the team with 12 digs. 

Game Two - Allegheny 3, Hiram 2 (25-20, 25-23, 16-25, 22-25, 15-9)
 
The teams were neck-and-neck throughout most of the opening set. A 7-1 Gator run put them ahead, 19-15. Allegheny was able to ride that run the rest of the way as they won the set 25-20.
 
A close second set came down to the wire once again. Trailing 22-21, the Gators won three straight points to gain a set point. The Terriers fought one off before a kill by Javes wrapped up the set for the Gators, 25-23.
 
Allegheny dropped their first set of the day in the third, 25-16, after a fast Hiram start. 
 
The fourth set was also closely contested. The Terriers went on a run late in the set as they tied the match with a 25-22 fourth set win, forcing a fifth and deciding set.
 
Tied at two in the fifth set, the Gators rattled off four straight points to gain the momentum. Later in the set, a 4-1 run furthered their advantage to 11-6. Leading a 14-9, a kill by Alejandra Fernandez (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Commonwealth Parkville) gave the Gators the five set win.
 
Inside the Box

• Bawek led the Gators with 14 kills with eight digs.
• Fatola had a career-high 10 kills.
• Kirk finished with 10 kills and four digs.
• Javes had seven kills while Carly Beers (Warren, Pa./Warren) had six.
• Robare had 27 assists and six digs while Gray had 13 assists and 10 digs.
• Diaz had 21 digs and five aces.
• Duru Akbas (Ankara, Turkey/Layton Christian Academy ((Utah)) had 13 assists and a career-high six aces.
• Fernandez had a dozen digs.

News and Notes

• The Gators are now 14-3 on the season and riding a 10-game winning streak. It matches their win streak from 2022 which had been their longest since 1994.
• Allegheny is now 30-24 all-time against Wooster and 11-25 against Hiram.

Up Next
The Gators are in Meadville Tuesday (Oct. 1) as they host Baldwin Wallace in nonconference action.