SANDUSKY, Ohio – The Allegheny women's volleyball team opened up their 2025 season at the Great Lakes Cross Over against Heidelberg and Salem Friday (Aug. 29).
 
The Gators swept Heidelberg before falling to Salem in five sets.
 
Match One - Allegheny 3, Heidelberg 0 (25-11, 27-25, 25-17)
 
The Gators tallied the first point of the set and did not look back after that. After the Student Princes pulled within two points at 10-8, the Gators closed out the set on a 15-3 run, taking it 25-11.
 
The second set went back-and-forth as the teams continued to trade runs throughout. Late in the set, Allegheny earned a set point at 25-24, but Heidelberg won the rally to tie it at 25 apiece. Amaya Brooks (North Olmsted, Ohio/Lutheran West) answered for the Gators with two straight kills as they won the set 27-25 to move ahead, 2-0.
 
The momentum gained late in the second set carried over to the third as the Gators jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Allegheny maintained that lead throughout as they closed out the match with a 25-17 third set win.
 
Inside the Box

• Skyler Fatola (Queen Creek, Ariz./Eastmark) led the team with a career-high 14 kills, and 1.5 total blocks.
• In her Allegheny debut, Brooks tallied 13 kills. 
• Carlee Pepperman (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) had 10 digs to go alongside six kills.
• Sydney Kirk (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle Catholic) and Carly Beers (Warren, Pa./Warren) had six kills apiece.
• Izzy Gray (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) totaled 34 assists and 11 digs.
• Jacy Diaz (Barranquitas, Puerto Rico/Gallatin (Tenn.)) led the backline with 16 digs.
• Alejandra Fernandez (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Commonwealth-Parkville) finished with 12 digs while Duru Akbas (Ankara, Turkey/Layton Christian Academy (Utah)) had nine. They each had two aces as well.

Match Two - Salem 3, Allegheny 2 (25-19, 26-24, 20-25, 23-25, 15-11)
 
Salem gained an early lead in the opening set. The Gators fought back to pull within a point at multiple junctures. Allegheny was within two points late in the set, but the Spirits closed it on a 4-0 run to take the set 25-19.
 
The second set saw the Gators gain a lead after the teams battled back-and-forth to start. The Gators held a 19-11 lead before the Spirits went on a 10-2 run to tie it at 21. Allegheny earned a set point at 24-22, however, Salem won the ensuing four points to take set two 26-24.
 
Allegheny had an early lead in set two before it was knotted up midway through. The Gators would slowly build their lead back up before closing out the set on a 4-1 run, taking it 25-20 and cutting the match score to 2-1.
 
The Spirits had the early advantage in set four before the Gators battled back to tie it at 15. The teams continued to trade leads until they were tied at 23. A kill and a block by Kendall Brunn (Campbell, Ohio/Northeast Ohio Impact Academy) gave Allegheny the final two points, sending the match to a deciding fifth set.
 
In the final set, Allegheny held a small lead before the teams were tied up midway through. The Gators held an 11-10 lead after an ace, but the Spirits closed out the match on a 5-0 run to win in five.
 
Inside the Box

• Fatola increased her career-high kill total from the first contest of the day, finishing the second match with 19 kills.
• Pepperman also achieved a career-high in kills, finishing with 15. Additionally, she had career-highs with 17 digs and six aces.
• Beers was the third Gator to reach a career peak in kills, tallying 11. 
• Brooks was in double-digits with 10 kills.
• Gray finished with a career-high 55 assists to go alongside 10 digs.
• Diaz ended the match with 29 digs and three aces.
• Akbas had 17 digs. 

News and Notes

• Allegheny is now 9-4 all-time against Heidelberg and 1-1 against Salem.
• Brooks and Bella Johnson (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) made their Allegheny debut.
• The Gators won their fourth straight season opener. 

Up Next
The Gators conclude play at the Great Lakes Cross Over against Muskingum and Baldwin Wallace Saturday (Aug. 30).