MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny volleyball team concluded competition at the annual Gator Invitational Saturday (Sept. 19) with a four set win against Houghton.
The Gators won the sets 25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 25-23, finishing 3-0 at the event.
During the fourth set,
Duru Akbas (Ankara, Turkey/Layton Christian Academy (Utah)) tallied her 1,000th career dig.
The Highlanders gained an 8-4 lead early in the opening set. Following a timeout, the Gators battled back and took the lead, 12-10. Allegheny continued to build upon their lead as it reached 17-13 before the Highlanders used their second timeout. The Gators maintained that lead the rest of the way, taking the opening set 25-20.
Similar to the opening set, the Highlanders led early in the second. An Allegheny run tied it back up at 12, eventually taking the lead at 15-14. The set remained close, but a quick two Allegheny points made it 23-20, prompting a Houghton timeout. The timeout failed to squelch the momentum as a kill by
Reilly Mendez (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos) and an ace by Akbas ended the set, 25-20.
In the third set, it was the Gators who gained an early 6-1 lead. Houghton slowly chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the set at 16. After a pair of Allegheny points, the Highlanders went on a 5-0 run to take control. They allowed just two more points the rest of the set as they took it 25-20.
The Highlanders built off their momentum as they jumped out to a 14-9 lead in the fourth set. A timeout helped slow the Highlanders down as the Gators fought back, tying it at 16. The teams continued to go back-and-forth as they were knotted at 22. A kill by
Marissa Rish (Burton, Ohio/Berkshire) followed by a
Carlee Pepperman (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) ace gave the Gators a match point. After stopping the first one, Houghton hit into an error, giving the Gators the match point.
Inside the Box
- Skyler Fatola (Queen Creek, Ariz./Eastmark) had eight kills and four blocks.
- Mendez also had eight kills with three blocks.
- Carly Beers (Warren, Pa./Warren) finished with seven kills and four blocks.
- Rish registered 15 assists, nine digs and seven kills.
- Joanna Miller (Pittsburgh, Pa./Gateway) tallied 17 assists and six digs.
- Akbas had 14 digs, reaching 1,000 in her career. She also led the team with five aces.
- Pepperman had 13 digs, five kills and three aces.
- Bella Johnson (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) contributed eight digs.
News and Notes
- Allegheny is now 3-3 all-time against Houghton.
- Akbas tallied her 1,000th career dig in the match.
- Rish and Akbas were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Up Next
The Gators are on the road Thursday (Sept. 24) at Penn State Behrend.
