ERIE, PA – The Wilkes University women's volleyball team fell to Penn State Behrend in the First Round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament Wednesday night in straight sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-23) to end the Colonels 2018 season.

Jamey Mikovich (Nesquehoning, PA/Panther Valley) finished the match with nine kills to set the Wilkes single-season record with 411. The junior passed the previous record of 409 kills set by Casey Bohan in 2013 which was also the last time the Colonels made the ECAC Tournament.

Wilkes, the No. 3 seed in Pod 2, concludes its season with an 18-13 record to tie the school record for single-season wins. Penn State Behrend, the No. 2 seed, improved to 20-10 overall and advanced to Saturday's quarterfinal round to face McDaniel College.

The Colonels found themselves at an early deficit in the opening set of the night as the hosts raced ahead to a 12-4 lead. Back-to-back kills by Mikovich and Michele Natale (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) cut into the Lions lead but the Colonels still trailed 16-11. Christie Challenger (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) and Alex Ferrier (Cressona, PA/Blue Mountain) collected kills during a three-point run for Wilkes but it was too late in the set as Behrend grabbed a 1-0 lead with a 25-17 victory.

Wilkes started the second set with the first three points on a Challenger kill and two attack errors by the Lions. Behrend would score the next six points though to grab a lead they would not relinquish. Natale and Ferrier combined for a block and Ferrier followed with a kill to pull Wilkes back to within two points at 11-9 before the Lions used a 12-5 run to open a nine point lead and eventually take the second set 25-18.

The third set saw the Colonels dig deep and put together their best set of the night as they hit at a .250 clip with 14 kills and only five errors (18 kills – 16 errors in the first two sets). After falling behind 4-0 Natale put away a kill and then Ferrier converted on consecutive attacks to make the score 4-3. Challenger and Laura Booths (Lake Ariel, PA/Western Wayne) combined for a block as the score stood at 7-6 before the Lions opened up a five-point lead 13-8. Wilkes worked the deficit down to one point again at 18-17 after a three-point run with kills by Mikovich and Natale. Another three-point sprint kept the Colonels close at 21-20 and then Wilkes tied the set at 23 after a Juliet Betke (Poplar Grove, IL/Belvidere North) service ace and a Challenger conversion on an attack. Behrend then scored the final two points to win the set 25-23 and the match 3-0 on a kill by Alex Parra and a block assist by Parra and Amanda Henry.

Betke led the Wilkes defense with 14 digs to end her junior season ranked in third place on the career digs list with 1,256. Mikovich, who earlier in the day was named the ECAC Division III – North Offensive Player of the Month for October, finished tied for the team lead with nine kills and added 12 digs. Ferrier also had nine kills for Wilkes.

Challenger finished with seven kills for her highest total since the season opener when the sophomore middle hitter had nine. Karlye Huffman (Sugar Run, PA/Wyalusing), fresh off being named the ECAC Division III – North Rookie of Month for October finished the match with 23 assists to bring her freshman season total to 917. Huffman and Julie Murphy (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) each had six digs.