Box Score



Kutztown 3, Slippery Rock 2 (HTML Box Score)
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's volleyball team showed its poise and willingness to continue to fight on Friday afternoon as it overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Slippery Rock University 3-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opener for both teams on the opening day of a crossover weekend hosted by Mercyhurst University.
 
The Golden Bears (7-5, 1-0 PSAC) are still in action Friday night as they square off against host Mercyhurst at 7:30 p.m. Live stats can be found by CLICKING HERE.
 
Sophomore Audrey Stringer (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) led the team and posted her third straight match with double-digit kills with 15. She was also active on the defensive line and tallied a team-high five blocks. Stringer hit for a .387 percentage with just three errors.
 
Kutztown fought back after a sloppy opening two sets in which it posted negative hitting percentages. It was able to put the past behind it and focus on the remaining sets as it totaled 16 attack errors in the first two sets, and just 10 in the following three.
 
Kutztown led for the majority of the third set and used an 8-0 run to take a 12-5 lead. It traded points with The Rock to hold a 17-10 lead and go on to win 25-17. It hit for a .346 percentage in the third set.
 
It got off to yet another hot start in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead through the seven points including a pair of kills by Danielle Van Buren (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley). Four of Van Buren's season-high 12 kills came in the fourth set as she posted an impressive .409 hitting percentage on 22 swings. Kutztown's lead remained at five for the majority of the set as it went on to win 25-19 and force a determining fifth set.
 
Van Buren started early in the set and helped Kutztown jump out to a 6-2 lead with two kills. Chelsea Braga (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach (Fairleigh Dickinson)) took over for Van Buren and drove home two kills of her own to help Kutztown push its lead to 10-5, needing 15 points for the win.
 
After taking an 11-5 lead, however, Slippery Rock rattled off seven of the next nine points to make up the deficit and tie the game at 12-all. Tied at 15, Van Buren tallied her final kill of the night, and assisted on a block with Stringer for the game-winner.
 
Kutztown has won two of its three matches this season that have gone to a fifth set.  
 
Freshman Anna Conti (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City) dished out 46 of Kutztown's 49 assists with nine digs, a block, and a kill.
 
Following their nightcap against Mercyhurst, the Golden Bears remain in Erie and travel to Gannon University for a pair of matches against Edinboro and Gannon beginning at 12:30 p.m.