BALTIMORE, MD – After opening ODAC play on Wednesday, EMU took a break to head north for a non-conference tri-match on Saturday.
In the opener, EMU, trailing 2-1, fought back and forced a fifth set, but ultimately fell to Penn St. Abington 3-2 (25-20, 21-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-12). In the afternoon finale, it was another back-and-forth affair, but after EMU handily won the first set, Goucher won the next three to take the 3-1 (14-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-23) victory.
EMU vs Penn St. Abington
Records: EMU 3-4, 0-0 ODAC | PSU-Abington 6-3, 0-0 United East
Highlights
- EMU started on top 7-2 to open the match, using a kill from Jada Parker, blocks from Lindsay Bly and Emma Rogers and an Emerson Moats ace to take the lead. The Royals would continue to lead, and even extend it to nine, 16-7, before the Nittany Lions roared back with a 14-1 run to pull ahead 21-17. Rogers would pick up a kill for EMU, but PSU-A would wrap up the set winning four of the final five points.
- This time it was the Nittany Lions starting strong, jumping out to a 10-4 lead early in the second set. EMU would respond with an 8-1 tilt, highlighted by four kills from Logan Turchetta and two service aces from Cristina Colon. The teams would swap ties at 12 and 13, until EMU pulled ahead with another run, this time 8-2, for a 21-15 advantage. Penn St. Abington would pull within one with five straight points, but EMU wouldn't relinquish the lead, finishing the set with a 4-1 run and an Ella Lambert kill to tie the match at one set apiece.
- With the Royals leading 6-3 after another Moats ace, PSU-A reeled off seven straight points. The teams would trade 5-0 runs as the Nittany Lions led 15-11. Later in the set, after kills from Turchetta and Hannah Hensley made it 18-15, Abington finished off the set with a 7-1 run for a 2-1 match lead.
- Neither team was able to gain much traction in set four, with neither being able to lead by two until, with Abington trailing 17-16, they went on a 5-1 tilt to take the largest lead of the set, 21-18. EMU tied things at 21 with blocks from Rogers and Hensley/Zyon McClatchey but a Royals error and a service error put the Nittany Lions back up by a pair. That would be the final points for PSU-Abington, however, as EMU won the final three points after a Reese Fitton kill, an Alyssa Carr ace and an error.
- Two kills from Rogers and one from Fitton gave EMU a slim 6-4 lead to start the fifth and final frame. PSU-Abington answered with a 5-0 run but things were later tied at 12 after EMU went on a 6-3 run. But unfortunately for the Royals, their run would end there as Abington would finish out the set, and the match, winning the final three points for the five-set thriller.
Statistical Leaders
Kills: Turchetta (11), Rogers (10)
Assists: Colon (16),
Ella Ollet (13)
Digs: Moats (19),
Felicity Jones (15),
Rebekah Allen (13)
Blocks: Rogers (7), Bly and Hensley (4)
Aces: Moats (5)
EMU at Goucher
Records: EMU 3-5, 0-1 ODAC | Goucher 4-5, 0-0 Landmark
Highlights
- Four Gopher errors, a Rogers block and kill and an Ollet ace gave EMU a 7-2 lead to start the match. Later in the set, a Turchetta kill, a pair of blocks from McClatchey and Haley Atkins, along with a Colon ace, pushed EMU's lead to double digits, 16-6. Goucher would pull within six, 19-13, but EMU would finish out the set with a 6-1 to take a 1-0 lead.
- Once again EMU pulled out to an early lead, this time 10-4, to start set two and after a GC service error, would lead 15-9. The Gophers would cut EMU's lead to two with a 4-0 run, but the Royals once again went on a run, 4-1, highlighted by kills from McClatchey and Rogers, to push their lead back to six. The teams would trade points to 21-15, before Goucher went on an 8-0 run to take a 23-21 lead. An Ollet kill and another block from Atkins and McClatchey knotted things at 23, but the Gophers picked up the final two points for the win.
- A 10-0 EMU start put them in the driver's seat to start the third until, later in the set, leading 13-8, Goucher tied things up at 14 with a 6-1 run. Two Atkins kills pushed EMU's lead back to three, but the Gophers answered with their second 8-0 run of the match to lead 22-17. They would traded points with the Royals, but that wouldn't work for EMU as Goucher took the set and a 2-1 lead.
- In the fourth, Goucher was the first to reach 10, leading 10-6. EMU pulled within one after two errors and a Colon ace and a back-and-forth run tied things at 13, before the teams once again traded points to 19-18 GC. EMU looked as if they would force a fifth set, winning five of the next six points, including a pair of kills from Carr. But the Gophers kept fighting and won five straight, using a kill to put the finishing touches on the set, and the match.
Statistical Leaders
Kills: Atkins (11 - career high)
Assists: Ollet (16), Colon (11)
Digs: Moats (14), Jones (11)
Blocks: Atkins (5 - career high), McClatchey (4 - career high)
Aces: Moats (4)
What's Next
EMU will be off for the next six days before returning to the court, and to ODAC play, with a trip to North Carolina next Friday night to take on Guilford. First serve against the Quakers is set for 6:00 pm.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding EMU women's volleyball, follow EMU on Twitter and Instagram, like EMU Athletics on Facebook or visit our website.
