Kutztown University Athletics

MERTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's volleyball may have been the home team on the scoreboard, but it was playing on a brand new court as Keystone Arena goes through its renovation project. KU made sure to play just as it would in front of the crowd on campus and defeated Goldey-Beacom in straight sets Tuesday night in a non-conference match at Brandywine Heights High School.
 
The Golden Bears (4-1 overall) won by scores of 25-21, 25-17, 25-18. They bounced back from a loss in their last match after opening the regular season on a three-match win streak, and they did it against a Lightning (4-2) team that had entered the night winners of four of their last five matches to begin the season. The Maroon and Gold have won all four matches in straight sets.
 
Just as they did over the weekend at the D'Youville Tournament in earning All-Tournament honors, outside hitters Paige Skinner (Placerville, Calif./Ponderosa) and Madilyn Bogovic (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) led the attack, finishing with 18 and nine kills, respectively. Skinner recorded a double-double, adding 10 digs with the 18 kills, and Bogovic contributed seven digs.
 
Grace White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) tallied eight kills and two blocks, Abby Polo (Coventry, Conn./Coventry) notched 22 assists and four digs and Emma Baldridge (Damascus, Md./Damascus) finished with 17 assists and five digs.
 
Head coach Jason Barshinger was able to play a season-high 14 different Golden Bears, including Lauren Montgomery (Norristown, Pa./Mount Saint Joseph Academy), Emily Leppert (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) and Molly Wentz (Leola, Pa./Lancaster Catholic), who all played in their first matches of 2026, and all three tallied at least one kills, with Wentz finishing with three. Saige Thibodeaux (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker) had nine digs and Mallory Hoch (Zionsville, Pa./Southern Lehigh) added six.
 
The Golden Bears played inspired volleyball, especially at the net, finishing with a 46-28 advantage in kills and held a .270-.098 edge in hit percentage, helping Goldey-Beacom to a negative percentage (-.029) in the opening set.
 
Ellie White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) tallied three digs, one kill and one block. Jaedyn Bartholomew (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) recorded three kills and one block. Julia Riley (Secane, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) contributed three digs and Kristina Diaz (Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park) added two.
 
Kutztown will next head south to Elizabeth City, N.C., for the Elizabeth City State Tournament this weekend, beginning Friday, Sept. 4, and running through Saturday, Sept. 5. KU will take on the host Vikings on Friday at 10:30 a.m., and then play Glenville State at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Maroon and Gold square off against Chowan at 8:00 a.m., and then Belmont Abbey at 4:30 p.m.

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