Berks Box / King's Box

WILKES-BARRE – Kate McGurk (Swarthmore, Ridley) had 11 kills and Allie Kelleher (Sayre, Athens Area) and Erin Nothstein (Mertztown, Brandywine Heights) combined for 40 digs as Wilkes University defeated rival King's College in three sets in the day's final volleyball matchup as the Lady Colonels hosted a tri-match with the Monarchs and Penn State-Berks on Saturday at the Marts Center.

The Lady Colonels rebounded after an earlier loss to Berks, defeating King's 25-15, 25-23 and 25-22 in the afternoon. Each set was a battle between both teams, as neither was able to gain a huge advantage, with the exception of the opening game. After trading points with the Monarchs to gain a 10-8 lead, Wilkes went on a 6-0 run double up on King's 16-8. After the Monarchs got two back, Wilkes then went ripped off seven straight points, taking a 23-10 lead before eventually winning by 10.

The second game featured nine lead changes and ties, as neither team was able to take control until King's went on a 6-0 run to go up 14-9. The Lady Colonels slowly got back in, getting back-to-back points multiple times until reeling off four straight points to take a 19-18 lead late in the game. Wilkes was then able to hang on for the two-point win.

Wilkes jumped out to an early 14-9 lead in game three before building it to 20-11. The Monarchs responded, going on an 8-2 run, getting within three at 22-19 and kept it tight before the Lady Colonels finished off the game and the match with the 25-22 victory.

In the day's first match with Berks, Wilkes took game one 25-16 before dropping each of the next three, 25-22, 25-19 and 25-10. Marissa Harrison (Shavertown, Lake-Lehman) had nine kills to lead the Lady Colonels offensively.

For the day, Kelleher totaled 44 digs while Nothstein added 30. Casey Bohan (Harding, Wyoming Area) had 16 kills on 48 total attacks, while Meaghan Williams (Hamlin, Western Wayne) had six blocks and Emily DeBuck (Pine Island, NY, Warwick Valley) had four more. Alex Zero (Moscow, North Pocono) dished out 29 total assists for the day.

The Lady Colonels, still in the Freedom Conference playoff picture with a 3-3 record, tied for the fourth and final spot, will look to break up the tie when they travel to Misericordia next Wednesday. The Cougars are tied for the second spot in the conference with a 4-2 record.