MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny volleyball team played host to Thiel in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) match Wednesday (Oct. 29), falling to the Tomcats in four sets.
Thiel won the sets 16-25, 28-26, 31-29, 25-22.
After going back-and-forth to start the opening set, the Gators went on a 3-0 run as Thiel called a timeout trailing 9-5. After calling timeout, the Tomcats would tie the set at 11. The Gators responded with a 5-0 run to regain control. That run propelled the Gators to a first set win, 25-16.
Once again, the teams matched each other early in the second set until the Gators rattled off a 6-0 run to take a 13-8 lead. The Tomcats battled back and took a late lead in the set, 23-22. After an Allegheny timeout, the teams found themselves trading set points. Thiel eventually won the set with a pair of kills, taking it 28-26 to even up the match.
The Tomcats carried their momentum over to the third set as they jumped out to a 12-7 lead. Following a timeout, the Gators fought back to tie the set at 15. The teams then traded points until the Tomcats gained a 23-21 advantage. A kill by
Amaya Brooks (North Olmsted, Ohio/Lutheran West) and an ace by
Duru Akbas (Ankara, Turkey/Layton Christian Academy (Utah)) tied it at 23. After Thiel won the ensuing point, the Gators staved off five set points in a back-and-forth battle, the Tomcats finally broke through to take the marathon set 31-29.
Thiel started the fourth set on a 6-1 run. Allegheny slowly chipped away at the lead, tying the set at 18 on an
Izzy Gray (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) kill. The teams exchanged points before Thiel took a 22-20. Allegheny made it a one-point game late, 23-22, but Thiel won the final two points to take the match in four sets.
Inside the Box
- Carlee Pepperman (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) led the team with 14 kills also adding 10 digs.
- Brooks ended the match with a dozen kills to go alongside seven digs.
- Sydney Kirk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle Catholic) also had 12 kills while Skyler Fatola (Queen Creek, Ariz./Eastmark) added eight.
- Gray finished with 28 assists and six digs while Joanna Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa./Gateway) had 10 assists and eight digs.
- Jacy Diaz (Barranquitas, Puerto Rico/Gallatin (Tenn.)) tallied 30 digs and six assists.
- Akbas had 15 digs and a team-high five aces.
- Jayne Seth (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) finished with 13 digs, a career high.
News and Notes
- Allegheny is now 29-10 all-time against Thiel.
Up Next
The Gators are on the road Saturday (Nov. 1) at Waynesburg.