WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's volleyball team dropped a hard fought Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom contest 3-2 to FDU-Florham at the Marts Center Wednesday night. Set scores were 25-18, 18-25, 20-25, 25-21, and 8-15.

Sophomore opposite Jamey Mikovich (Nesquehoning, PA/Panther Valley) set a career-high with 21 kills and sophomore libero Juliet Betke (Poplar Grove, IL/Belvidere North) set a career-high with 30 digs for Wilkes as they fell to 4-11 overall and 0-3 in conference matches. The Devils moved to 12-3 overall and to 2-1 in MAC Freedom action.

The Lady Colonels jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the opening set and were able to hold a comfortable margin from there to win the set 25-18. FDU-Florham then took the next two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-20 to take a two sets to one lead in the match.

Wilkes then fought back in the fourth set. A kill by senior Madison Scarfaro (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) put the Lady Colonels up 6-2 before the Devils went on a six-point run to take an 8-6 lead. Then a six-point run by Wilkes changed the set and put the Lady Colonels up 16-12. In the scoring run, Mikovich had two kills and sophomore Alex Ferrier (Cressona, PA/Blue Mountain) and senior Kayley Schinski (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) each added a kill as well.

FDU-Florham would claw back to within one point at 21-20 but then a kill by sophomore Michele Natale (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon), a Devils attack error, and a Ferrier kill opened the lead back to 24-20. Natale then collected the kill to end the fourth set at 25-21 in the Lady Colonels favor.

The fifth set started with a four-point service run with senior Alexis Morgan (Walnutport, PA/Northampton) serving for Wilkes. FDU-Florham then responded with the next five points and went on to take the final set by a 15-8 score.

Morgan went over 40 assists for the third time this season with 45 and also added 17 digs for a double-double. Mikovich added 22 digs to her 21 kills for a double-double as well. Schinski recorded her first-ever double-double with a season-high 10 kills and a career-high 10 digs. Ferrier tied a career-best with seven digs.

The Lady Colonels head back on the road to close out the month of September when they travel to Altoona, Pa. on Saturday, September 30. Wilkes will face two non-conference opponents in a tri-match when they play Penn State-Behrend at 3:00 p.m. and Penn State-Altoona at 5:00 p.m.