SPARKILL, N.Y. – Kutztown women's volleyball was looking to finish off an undefeated, 3-0 week this week, but lost three straight sets after winning the first two and dropped a five-set match at St. Thomas Aquinas Saturday afternoon in a non-conference match.
The Golden Bears (14-3 overall) lost by scores of 25-16, 28-26, 20-25, 25-27, 12-15. Entering Saturday, KU had an unbeaten week that saw it take down Lackawanna College in four sets last Tuesday night and then beat Millersville in straight sets Friday in a PSAC East match.
The Maroon and Gold had little trouble putting the hosts away in the opening set as they jumped out by scoring six of the first eight points. The Spartans pulled to within just four at 12-8, but then Kutztown rattled off three in-a-row and seven of the next 10 to go ahead 19-11 after a
Madilyn Bogovic (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) kill.
Ellie White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) finished it off with a kill on an assist from Emma Baldrige at 25-16.
The second set was more of a challenge for the visitors, as they actually were down by two at set point (24-22), before
Grace White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) and Bogovic recorded back-to-back kills to tie the score at 24-24. Bogovic then kept her team alive again with a kill to even up the score at 25-all and then White and
Paige Skinner (Placerville, Calif./Ponderosa) went back-to-back on kill to break a 26-26 deadlock and win the second set.
In the third set, the Golden Bears trailed from the opening point and were unable to ever complete a rally to go out in front. It was another thrilling set in the fourth that went into extra points as STC outlasted KU in the end. Still with one set to stave off the rally, the Maroon and Gold were unable to stop the momentum and fell in the fifth set.
Skinner led the attack with 18 kills and added seven digs and four blocks. Bogovic finished with 16 kills and 11 digs, while
Grace White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) had 11 kills and five blocks.
Ellie White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) tallied five kills, two digs and two blocks and
Jaedyn Bartholomew (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) recorded four kills and two digs. Baldridge contributed 30 assists and three digs and
Abby Polo (Coventry, Conn./Coventry) added 20 assists and two kills.
Saige Thibodeaux (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker) paced the defense with 29 digs and
Julia Riley (Secane, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) added eight digs and three service aces.
Kutztown will take the week off and then get back into PSAC competition for two matches next weekend, a home and away. KU will first host Bloomsburg next Friday, Oct. 2, at 6:30 p.m., from Brandywine Heights High School, and then travel to West Chester for a 1 p.m., match on Saturday.
