WILMINGTON, Del. – The Kutztown University women's volleyball team carried its positive momentum into the weekend, claiming its third consecutive win over the Lincoln (Pa.) Lions, 3-0, before falling victim to the Goldey-Beacom Lightning in a close, 3-2 battle at a tri-meet inside the Joseph West Jones Center in Wilmington, Del., on Saturday afternoon.
The Golden Bears (6-6 overall) took a 2-0 set lead over the Lions (0-10) before the third set looked to be going the way of Lincoln. Kutztown stayed strong in their efforts, forcing the set to exceed 25 points before claiming the match with a 27-25 win.
KU quickly turned around to face the Lightning (7-7), who were well rested and pulled a quick two-set lead to put the Golden Bears on the brink. Kutztown was able to battle to a 25-18 set three win, using that momentum to power a 25-13 fourth frame to force a decisive fifth set. Goldey-Beacom scored the first three points in the 15-point frame, using that advantage to roll to a 15-9 win and claim the match.
Match 1: Kutztown 3, Lincoln (Pa.) 0
The Maroon and Gold took care of business in its Saturday opener, winning in straight sets, 25-13, 25-15, 27-25. Kutztown came out of the gate hot, serving five aces and recording a .478 hitting percentage while committing just three errors in the 12-point win. Kutztown pulled away early with serves from outside hitter Madilyn Bogovic (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff), including both of her service aces on the afternoon.
Set two wasn't much better for the Lions, as they recorded just two kills against the 15 from Kutztown. It was Mallory Hoch (Zionsville, Pa./Southern Lehigh) and Alex Haskins (State College, Pa./State College) who combined for 11 serves in the set, and a pair of kills from junior Alice Frank (Allentown, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic) that secured the second set for KU.
It was a much tougher task in the final set for Kutztown, as Lincoln made it an 11-4 contest early before excellent attacks from Molly Wentz (Leola, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) made it a four-point difference. The freshman, who had seven kills in the third set, was pivotal in keeping the Golden Bears within striking distance, and she came in clutch with five serves that made the score 23-22.
After a Lincoln point and a service error made it 25-25, Frank and Hoch were in on a pair of plays that secured the final two points in the team's win.
Junior Paige Skinner (Placerville, Calif./Ponderosa) turned in a team-leading nine kills for KU in the victory. Frank posted 28 assists to go along with a pair of kills and a solo block, while Bogovic had a team-high eight digs and seven kills. Wentz had eight kills across two sets, and Macy Shewmake (Reading, Pa./Governor Mifflin) recorded seven kills and a solo block in the 3-0 win.
Match 2: Goldey-Beacom 3, Kutztown 2
The Golden Bears had little time for rest, as the Lightning were ready to give Kutztown its best shot. They did just that, holding a 2-0 lead after winning the first two sets 25-21 and 25-14.
Kutztown bounced back in the third set, which looked like a back-and-forth affair at first glance. When it mattered most, Kutztown's four-point margin built from an early run of Emma Stalsitz (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) serves ended up being pivotal in a 25-18 victory over Goldey-Beacom.
The winning energy ran into the next set, as while the Lightning kept Kutztown within reach, the Golden Bears' efficient attack (18 kills and a .586 hitting percentage) along with a 14-3 run gave KU a 25-13 victory and forced a winner-take-all fifth set.
Goldey-Beacom jumped on the first three scoring opportunities, giving the team momentum to control the set and claim the match with a 15-9 win.
Bogovic once again played a huge role in the match, recording a team-high 25 kills and 15 digs. Skinner had 23 kills and 15 digs to go along with a service ace and a pair of block assists, while setter Emma Baldridge (Damascus, Md./Damascus) tallied 57 assists and 17 digs on the afternoon. Grace White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) had six block assists and a trio of kills, while freshman Lauren Montgomery (Norristown, Pa./Mount Saint Joseph Academy) added five kills and five block assists. Libero Saige Thibodeaux (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker) led the team in digs (25) while recording an ace in defeat.
The Golden Bears travel to Philadelphia to face the Jefferson Rams on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m., before opening conference play at Keystone Arena against West Chester (Friday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m.) and Millersville (Saturday, Oct. 4, at 4 p.m.).
