WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Looking to earn a victory at West Chester for the first time since the 2011 season, the Kutztown women's volleyball team had it all going early and looked to snap the losing streak at Hollinger Fieldhouse, but the host Golden Rams stormed back to win in five sets in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Divisional match Friday night.
The Golden Bears (7-7 overall, 0-2 PSAC East) won the first two sets by scores of 25-20 and 25-22, but lost the next three 14-25, 18-25 and 8-15.
Gabriela Fialova (Ledec nad Sazavou, Czech Republic/Sportovni Gymnazium Ludvika Danka) led the attack with a match-high 26 kills, a season-best 21 digs, three assists and one block.
Sadie Doss (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) also finished with a double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs.
Cat Farole (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) recorded a career-high 45 assists and added 13 digs.
Julia Post (Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge) and
Sarah Hess (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) both had six kills and two digs and
Mallory Hoch (Zionsville, Pa./Southern Lehigh) contributed 14 digs.
KU came out like a team that desperately wanted this one and was firing on all cylinders from the get-go. The Maroon and Gold opened the first set by scoring seven of the first nine points and extended their lead to as many as eight points (14-6), while not allowing the Golden Rams to get closer than two, which came with a quick 6-0 spurt that positioned them behind at 14-12. Even at 21-18 with WCU in striking distance, Kutztown responded with three of the next four points and finished off the set with a Fialova kill on an assist by Farole.
West Chester looked to bounce back and took an early lead in a back-and-forth second set. There were 13 ties and four lead changes throughout the set. The Golden Rams found themselves leading 20-18, but a Fialova kill and attack error from WCU tied the score at 20-20. There would be two more ties until the Golden Bears ran off the last three points to take the set, highlighted by back-to-back kills by Doss.
The Golden Rams finally got in the win column and led from start to finish in both the third and fourth sets. Just as it looked like Kutztown was going to leave Hollinger Fieldhouse with a sweep, WCU held firm and stormed back, finishing off the match in a tightly contested fifth set.
Kutztown is back out on the court tomorrow afternoon as it plays its second straight road conference contest in back-to-back days when it travels to Millersville for a 2 p.m., start.
