WILLIAMSPORT, PA – The Wilkes University women's volleyball squad concluded Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom play Thursday afternoon with a matchup against the Lycoming Warriors.
 
The Colonels (11-17, 2-6 MACF) earned three tough sets in a row to take a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23) victory over the Warriors (9-17, 2-6)
 
Lycoming jumped out to an early 5-1 lead before first year setter Alexa Cassel (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) took up serve and sparked a 5-1 run for the Navy and Gold to tie the set up at six all.  Neither team would lead by more than three points for the remainder of the set as they battled back and forth.  Warrior errors helped the Colonels gain a small, important, edge late in the set as a 6-1 run put them in a 23-20 advantage, which held through the end of the set.
 
The teams continued neck and neck into the second set, neither squad gaining much of an edge until the Warriors once again found themselves having trouble with errors after the match was tied 11 all, fueling a 5-1 run that gave the Colonels a 16-12 advantage.  The Warriors responded with a 6-2 run to tie it at 18-all, but first year setter Jaclyn Rawa (West Chester, PA/Henderson) took up serve on a key 3-0 run that gave the Colonels a 22-20 edge that Lycoming would be unable to overcome.
 
The Warriors held the early edge in the third and final set, but a trio of Navy and Gold kills helped the Colonels take an 11-10 lead.  The teams were neck and neck until the Colonels offense hit their stride after the teams were tied up at 20 all.  Four kills by the Navy and Gold fueled a 4-1 run that gave them a critical 24-21 lead, and a ball handling error from Lycoming would seal their fate as they fell in the set and match.
 
Junior Kelsey Carroll (Jim Thorpe, PA/Jim Thorpe) led both squads with 12 kills, while Cassel posted five service aces to lead both teams as well.  Cassel tied for the game high with Lycoming setter Piper Schwenk, each setter having 33 assists.  Three Colonels posted double digit digs, with Carrol and sophomore libero Ali Yordy (Fairfield, PA/Fairfield Area) having 11 apiece, with Alexis Reedy (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra Area) having 10 digs.  Reedy had a double-double on the night, adding in her 10 kills. 
 
The Colonels return to the Marts Center to wrap up their 2021 season with a senior day tri-match this upcoming Saturday.  They play host to Rutgers-Camden at 11:00 a.m., before matching up with Alfred University at 3:00 p.m.  The Colonels are 4-7 in the live stats era against Rutgers-Camden and lost earlier this year on the road, while this is the first time in the live stats era they will play Alfred.