Mikovich Passes 1,000 Career Kills in Wilkes Women's Volleyball's Sweep of Bryn Athyn
WILKES-BARRE – Jamey Mikovich (Nesquehoning, PA/Panther Valley) surpassed the 1,000 career kills mark Thursday night as the Wilkes University women's volleyball team swept Bryn Athyn College (25-9, 25-19, 25-15) at the Marts Center in non-conference action.
Wilkes finished the match with a season high .341 team hitting percentage to improve its overall record to 17-10. Bryn Athyn of the Colonial States Athletic Conference dropped to 7-11 this season.
Karlye Huffman (Sugar Run, PA/Wyalusing) got the Colonels off to a great start in set one from the service line as she had two aces as the home side took an 8-0 lead. Mikovich also got off to a fast start with two kills in the first eight points. Following two Alex Ferrier (Cressona, PA/Blue Mountain) aces the Colonels extended their lead to 14-1. Wilkes was able to cruise the rest of the way with Mikovich putting away her sixth kill of the set to put the Colonels ahead 1-0 with a 25-9 victory.
The Lions ran out to an early 8-4 lead in set two before Wilkes stormed back to force a Bryn Athyn timeout with the score 11-8 in favor of the Colonels. In the run Mikovich recorded three straight kills to push Wilkes ahead. Bryn Athyn then regrouped to tie the score at 12 before a Michele Natale (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) kill and Laura Booths (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) ace put Wilkes back ahead. Mikovich then recorded her 1,000th kill to make the score 19-14 off an assist from Huffman. The Lions closed the lead to 22-19 but Mikovich had the answers with two more kills and a Bryn Athyn attack error gave the Colonels the second set by a 25-19 score.
Shayna Fehrle (Philadelphia, PA/St. Hubert) handed Wilkes its first lead of the third set at 2-1 with an ace. Kills by Sierra Smith (Syracuse, NY/West Genesee) and Natale put Wilkes back ahead at 4-3 and the Colonels went ahead 6-3 after a Kristie Najdek (Bethpage, NY/Island Trees) ace. The Lions battled back with five straight points to take the 8-6 lead forcing Wilkes to make a comeback. Ferrier used the block on an attack to record her eighth kill of the match and put Wilkes back ahead 10-9 and then Smith followed with an ace. A Christie Challenger (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) kill helped Wilkes extend its lead to a more comfortable margin at 16-12 as Wilkes pulled away from there to take the third set 25-15 for its tenth sweep of the season.
Mikovich led the offense with 16 kills and a .600 hitting percentage. She also added a team high seven digs. Ferrier followed with nine kills while Natale had five. Huffman finished with 35 assists in directing the efficient Wilkes offense. Najdek tied her season high of six digs.
Lex Juritsch had a match high 14 digs for the visitors.
The Colonels close out their Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom slate next Wednesday when they travel to Dallas, Pa. to face Misericordia at 7:00 p.m.
