Phoenixville, PA – The University of Valley Forge Women's Volleyball team opened the 2018 season by hosting a tri-match against The Cyclones of Centenary University and the Lions of Penn State Abington. The Patriot split the two matches on the afternoon by taking down Centenary in 4 sets 25-8, 24-26, 25-7, and 25-18. UVF took PSU Abington the distance in a 5-set thriller but went on to drop the fifth set to even up their record at 1-1 on the season.
UVF vs. Centenary
The Patriots opened their 2018 campaign by reeling off 8 straight points to give them an early 8-0 lead. The cyclones answered with a 5-0 run to bring the score to 9-6. From that moment though, it was all Valley Forge in set #1. After
Megan Freed recorded her 2
nd of 3 aces in the set, the Patriot went on a 9-0 run to put the first frame out of reach. The Patriot went on to win 25-8.
The 2
nd set saw both teams battle back and forth. With Centenary up 17-15, UVF went on a run of 6 straight points to pull ahead 21-17. It looked as though Valley Forge would cruise to a second set win. Centenary, however had different plans. The Cyclones won the next 10 of 12 points to win the closely contested game 26-24.
After dropping set #2, the 3
rd set was pivotal to the match. UVF needed to regain control. The Patriots wasted little time jumping out to a lead. Kills by
Mariah Straker,
Kaitlyn Hess, and
Megan Freed and big block by
Lindsay LeSueur gave Valley Forge a 10-2 lead. After a Cyclone point,
Kaitlyn Hess went on a tear. Hess served 12 times that included 6 service aces. The Patriots rolled to a 25-8 win in set #3.
The 4
th set was similar to the 2nd. Up by 2 and the score 15-13, the Patriots pushed their lead to 21-14 thanks to two more aces from
Kaitlyn Hess and another from
Megan Freed. This time, up late and leading 21-14, Valley Forge did not relinquish the lead. A kill by
Hannah Hawkryluk and an ace from
Chanda Carson closed the door on the Cyclones. The Patriots won the 4
th and deciding set by a score of 25-18.
UVF vs. PSU Abington
The Patriots were a team on mission in the first set against the Lions. UVF screamed out to a big lead. Abington had no answer for
Megan Freed in set #1. Freed served the Patriots to a 15-6 lead. The Lions were able to close the lead to 5, but that would be as close and they would come. Kills by
Megan Freed and
Lindsay LeSueur pushed the lead to 20-12. The Patriots went on to close out the set 25-16.
Both teams continued to answer each other and neither would be able to pull away. The exciting 2
nd set saw both teams battle to a 21-19 Patriot advantage. The Lions went on a 6 point run to win set #2 25-21.
The 3
rd set saw the Lions jump out to a 13-5 lead. Valley Forge needed to settle in and get back into the game. The Patriots used a 10-2 run that was capped off by kills from
Hannah Hawkryluk and
Mariah Straker. UVF climbed back from an 8 point deficit to lead 16-15. After a PSU Abington service error tied the set at 18, Valley Forge reeled off 4 straight points thanks two aces from
Lindsay LeSueur and a kill by
Megan Freed. Leading 21-18, UVF continued to put the pressure on the Lions.
Mariah Straker closed out the 3
rd frame with a monster kill to give UVF a 2 sets to 1 advantage.
The 4th set once again saw both teams go neck-and-neck with neither giving an edge. Down by 4, the Patriots would knot the game at 16 thanks to two Lion miscues and kills by
Megan Freed and
Mariah Straker. The Lions answered the 4-point run with one of their own to retake a 20-16 lead. Abington would pull away and win the 4
th set 25-17.
The Patriots and Lions were headed to the 5
th and final set. Abington led midway through the set by a score of 11-9. They would add to their lead after three Patriot miscues. With Abington holding a 14-9 advantage, The Patriots needed to go on a run. Back-to-back kills from
Kaitlyn Hess and two Lion errors made the score 14-13 in favor of PSU-Abington. The Lion's Cortney Schwar would ruin the Patriots comeback as she converted on a kill to close out the game for the Lions.
