BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Kutztown University women's volleyball team looked strong at several points in the match, but could not hold up to the Frostburg State Bobcats on Friday afternoon, falling 3-2 in their opening match of the D'Youville University Tournament inside the Saints Center Gym.
The Golden Bears (3-4 overall) opened with a strong, five-point opening set victory, but Frostburg State (3-4) bounced back with a pair of strong frames for a one-set advantage. KU forced a fifth set with another five-point win in the fourth, but Frostburg State held on for a 15-9 victory to decide the match.
Kutztown's opening set started with a 7-3 lead, with a trio of
Saige Thibodeaux (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker) serves carrying the three-point run. The Golden Bears won four of their next six to make it 12-8 before the Bobcats drew within a pair midway through. After a series of back-and-forth play, Thibodeaux once again stepped to the service line and rattled off a strong run of serves that widened the lead and enabled Kutztown to take the one-set lead.
The fourth frame briefly saw momentum on the side of the Bobcats for the third straight set, but a 16-2 run on the back of Thibodeaux and
Mallory Hoch (Zionsville, Pa./Southern Lehigh) gave the Bears full control of the set and a bit of breathing room heading into the fifth set. Although Frostburg State made a surge to come within four, an attack error by the Bobcats gave each team an equal opportunity to claim the win.
Junior outside hitter
Paige Skinner (Placerville, Calif./Ponderosa) led the team with 17 kills, with her 15 digs ranking second on the squad. Thibodeaux served up a team-high two aces and led the way with 26 digs, while rookie
Madilyn Bogovic (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) also notched a pair of aces while recording 12 kills in a strong losing effort.
The Golden Bears continue the D'Youville University Tournament tomorrow with contests against Slippery Rock (10 a.m.) and Assumption (4 p.m.). The team returns to Keystone Arena for a Thursday night matchup with Georgian Court on Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.
