On Saturday, Sept. 18, the Elizabethtown College women’s volleyball team split its three weekend matches, falling to Franklin & Marshall College before topping Lancaster Bible College, the host of the match, 3 sets to 0 on Saturday afternoon.
With the split, the Blue Jays’ win to loss record moves to 5 wins and 4 losses of the season.
Junior Bryanna Miller nearly finished the day with back-to-back double-doubles, registering 13 kills and 17 digs in the first match and 14 kills and nine digs in the second match. Meanwhile, teammate junior Sarah Hanks tallied a season-high 34 assists in the second match and sophomore Kambrie Hepler recorded 28 digs in the opener followed by 30 digs in the second match. Both Hanks and Hepler recorded team-highs during this match.
After falling to the Diplomats 3-0 in the opening match, the Blue Jays played more aggressively in the second. Etown started off strong with a lead of 12-4 in the first set against the Chargers, which was highlighted by a big block from sophomore Katie Scaggs and Hanks on the ninth point.
The Blue Jays continued to play very aggressively, moving to a large lead of 19-9 after a block by Miller and first year Lily Johnson. Lancaster Bible would only be able to close the match within seven points, falling in the first, 25-17.
In the second set, the Blue Jays found themselves down by one point (17-16) to the Chargers after the hosts rattled off three consecutive points. The Blue Jays responded with two consecutive points, highlighted by a block from Scaggs for the 19-18 advantage.
Lancaster Bible tied it one last time at 19, but Etown made a comeback and scored six of the final eight points for the 25-21 win and a 2-0 lead.
The Chargers would not go quietly, as they set out to a 7-1 lead in the final set. The Blue Jays fought back, and took its first lead of the third stanza at 10-9 after Hanks found Scaggs for a kill.
The two teams continued to battle all the way to a deadlock at 18. At this point, Etown took command of the match, finishing off Lancaster Bible with a 7-1 run, capped off by a kill from senior Shelly Yohe for the 25-19 win and the Blue Jays’ fourth three set victory of the season.
Etown remains on the road next week as they travel to Wilson College on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m.
