Box Score - Philadelphia University
Box Score - Alvernia University
LANGHORNE, PA - Saturday's tri-match served as quite a dichotomy of efforts for the volleyball team: they got drubbed in the opening contest but responded with a licking of their own just hours later.
The Crimson Eagles opened up play Saturday against a Philadelphia University group that handled PBU in a 3-0 sweep during the season opener. Things didn't change much during the team's second meeting with the local Division II powerhouse on Saturday.
Following a respectable first game that saw PBU fall just 25-20, things soon fell apart. The Crimson Eagles wound up getting pummeled 25-13, 25-10 in the final two sets against an enormous Ram squad that features seven players 5'10 or taller.
Philly U's sizable length advantage helped limit PBU to a 0.31 hitting percentage while holding a 9-1 edge in service aces. The Rams also forced the host squad into 21 attack errors during PU's ninth straight win of the season.
Kay Lynn Zeiset recorded 18 digs for the match and Rachel Calderon added seven kills and nine digs. Betsy Ranck posted 22 assists in the loss.
But after falling in what equated to their worst loss of the season, the Crimson Eagles responded by posting their most lopsided triumph of the year, overpowering Alvernia University 3-0 by scores of 25-12, 25-9, 25-11.
Failing to reach triple digits in hitting percentage during each of their last three matches, the Crimson Eagles changed all that in match two Saturday, pounding out their greatest mark of the year with a .353 clip against the Crusaders. PBU also blasted 23 aces for the game as a team and held a 25-6 margin in kills for the contest.
Nine different players tallied at least a single service ace and seven players notched at least a single kill for the host squad. Lindsay Dager paved the way with eight kills and a .467 hitting percentage and Kay Lynn Zeiset added eight digs and a season high mark of six aces.
The volleyball maintains an even 4-4 record on the year with the spit Saturday and will continue their schedule this Tuesday during the team's first conference match of the year. The Crimson Eagles will host Baptist Bible in the Mason Activity Center at 7:00 pm.
