KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Abbey James (York, Pa./West York Area),
Lexi Morrow (Landisburg, Pa./West Perry),
Holly Owen (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) and
Sydney Wilson (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) all had double-doubles and the Kutztown University women's volleyball team recorded a season-high 16 blocks in a 3-1 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Central Division victory over Lock Haven Friday night at Keystone Arena.
Kutztown controlled the first two sets, winning 25-19 and 25-15, before the Bald Eagles extended the match with a hard-fought 25-23 win in the third. The Golden Bears wouldn't be fazed, closing out the match convincingly, 25-14.
Owen produced on both sides of the net, leading KU (9-12, 3-8 PSAC) with 21 kills on 56 attempts (.214), 10 digs, six blocks and three aces. The Maroon and Gold's remaining double-doubles were of the assists-digs variety, as Morrow had 15 assists and 13 digs, Wilson 10 assists and a team-high 18 digs, and James 14 assists and 11 digs.
Kutztown's net defense couldn't be ignored, either. Sophomore middle hitter
Lilly Charlton (Landenberg, Pa./Avon Grove) finished with a career-high 10 blocks (all assists). Owen, who had the Bears' lone solo stuff, had six along with
Haylee Holsopple (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg), and
Britney Hewitt (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) added five blocks. The Golden Bears reached double-digit blocks as a team for the fourth time this season.
Owen, Holsopple and
Lauren Jackson (Stafford, Va./Mountain View) had kills during a stretch of nine unanswered points for the hosts that broke an early 4-4 tie in the first set. Late in the set, KU put together a quick 5-0 run to restore its nine-point lead before eventually winning by six.
Kutztown's leader on offense, Owen came alive with 10 of her team's 12 kills in the second set. The Bears jumped out to an 8-0 advantage and led by as many as 12 in the set.
Lock Haven (6-15, 0-11) got five kills from Breanna McDonald and three apiece from Cassidy Hoover and Adriana Serpe to prevail in the third.
The Bald Eagles capitalized on a sleepy start to the set from KU to go up 11-6. A 5-0 run allowed the Golden Bears to tie the set for the first time at 11 and another in the late stages of the set put
John Gump's team in front 20-18. Lock Haven would score five of the final six points, capped by a Hoover kill.
Kutztown doubled its fourth-set lead, 18-6, just past the midway point and did not allow Lock Haven to extend any momentum from avoiding a sweep. Charlton contributed four blocks and three kills. and Owen had four kills to secure the win.
Owen took more than a third of KU's 150 attack attempts with 56 and hit .214 in the match. Charlton and
Erin Patterson (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) had six kills and Hewitt five.
McDonald had a team-highs of 14 kills and 15 digs for LHU, while Hoover added seven kills and 10 digs.
Kutztown lines up for another divisional match against Bloomsburg on Homecoming Saturday at 4 p.m.
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