NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Less than 24 hours after its season-opening win at Caldwell in N.J., the Kutztown women's volleyball team was back out on the court in a different state. But this time, the result was different as KU dropped two matches, the opener to host Southern Connecticut State in straight sets and then the nightcap to Bridgeport in five sets.
 
Scores from the match with the Owls were 23-25, 21-25, 13-25 and match two against the Purple Knights was 22-25, 24-26, 25-19, 25-18, 11-15.
 
The Golden Bears (1-2 overall) were led offensively by Sadie Doss (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg), who finished with 38 kills combined, 25 of which came against Bridgeport. The graduate student also had 30 digs. Gabriela Fialova (Ledec nad Sazavou, Czech Republic/Sportovni Gymnazium Ludvika Danka) tallied 22 kills and 26 digs. Emma Stalsitz (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) recorded 25 digs. Cat Farole (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) finished with 35 assists and Maddie Ruhland (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) contributed 29 assists.
 
Kutztown will now have the rest of the holiday weekend off and will head back to campus to compete at home for the first time in 2023 when it hosts Chestnut Hill in a non-conference match on Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 7 p.m., from Keystone Arena.
 
Southern Connecticut State 3, Kutztown 0
 
Kutztown erased an early deficit in the opening set and went ahead 3-2, leading most of the match. On top 19-14, S. Conn. St. found a groove and scored seven straight points to take a 21-19 advantage and then hung on in the end for a two-point victory. Then, once again in set two, KU held a late lead, up 19-15, but watched as the Owls recorded six points in-a-row to take their first lead at 21-19, one they kept until the end.
 
The Golden Bears just ran out of energy in the third set as S. Conn. St. opened up a match-high lead of eight (9-1) and never looked back, finishing off the three-set sweep.
 
Bridgeport 3, Kutztown 2
 
After falling in the first two sets by a combined five points, Kutztown responded in a big way, taking the next two sets to force the deciding fifth set.
 
The two teams were tied four different times before the Golden Bears took their first lead of the set at 11-10. Bridgeport then went on to score the set's final five points to take the match.

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