KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's volleyball was happy to be inside the friendly confines of Keystone Arena as opened its home portion of its 2023 schedule with a victory in five sets over Chestnut Hill Tuesday night in non-conference action.
 
The Golden Bears (2-2 overall) won for the second time in four matches to open the year. Scores of the match were 25-20, 18-25, 25-23, 24-26 and 19-17.
 
Sadie Doss (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) paced the attack with 21 kills and added 16 digs, two blocks, two service aces and three assists. Gabriela Fialova (Ledec nad Sazavou, Czech Republic/Sportovni Gymnazium Ludvika Danka) finished with 14 kills, 20 digs, four aces, two assists and two blocks. Maddie Ruhland (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) recorded 26 digs and 30 assists. Alexa Feorene (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) tallied 15 digs and Grace Ingram (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) had seven kills and two blocks. Julia Post (Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge) contributed four kills and four blocks.
 
Kutztown started the match just the way it had hoped, taking the first set of a match for the first time this season. KU trailed 6-3 early on, but went on a 9-1 run over the next 10 points to go on top 12-7. The Griffins pulled to within just two points, four different times, including the final time at 21-19, but the Maroon and Gold ripped off four out of the next five points to take the opener.
 
It looked as if the Golden Bears would continue their momentum in the second set, racing out to four straight points, but Chestnut Hill tied the score at 5-5 and never trailed the rest of the way, leading by as many as nine points before the end.
 
The third set was back-and-forth from start to finish as the teams found themselves tied 10 different times and neither squad held more than a three-point advantage. Kutztown was on top 23-20, but saw its advantage shrink to just one at 23-22 before a kill by Doss put her team at set point and then a Griffins attack error sealed the deal.
 
KU was trying not to go to the fifth and deciding set for the third time in four matches, but the Griffins did not take the memo. They trailed 20-18 and then scored five unanswered and held on for the win. They then carried over that momentum into the fifth set and had the Golden Bears within match point twice, but KU rallied and a Fialova kill finished it off.
 
Kutztown will next compete in the Wildcat Regional Invitational, hosted by Wilmington University, this weekend with three matches, beginning Friday, Sept. 8. KU will take on the Wildcats in the first match at 10 a.m., and then will play Jefferson at 4 p.m. The next day, the Golden Bears will meet Holy Family at 2 p.m.

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