WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's volleyball team dug deep to earn a five-set Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) win over visiting Lycoming College where the two teams raised awareness for Pediatric Cancer through the Go4theGoal Foundation at the Marts Center Wednesday night. Wilkes won the match 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 21-25, 25-14, 15-11) as Nicole Fitzpatrick (New Hampton, NY/Minisink Valley) had a career high 25 kills.

Wilkes improved to 5-14 overall and got its first conference win to move to 1-4 in the MAC Freedom. Lycoming fell to 11-7 overall and 2-3 in the league.

The Colonels gained an early 7-3 lead in the first set following a kill by Alexis Reedy (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra Area). Fitzpatrick had four kills during the early points of the run. Wilkes was forced to call a timeout following an 11-4 run by the Warriors that gave them a 14-11 lead. Lycoming slowly built its lead until the Colonels called their second timeout at 21-15. Wilkes then went on a 5-2 run to force the Warriors to use a timeout of their own at 23-20. Reedy had a block and an ace and a Fitzpatrick kill helped the Colonels in a three-point spurt. Lycoming would close out the set with two of the next four points to win 25-22 to take the 1-0 lead in the match.

The second set remained tight until Lycoming found a three-point run to make the score 11-8. Following a Fitzpatrick ace and a block by Sierra Hines (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) and Reedy the Colonels closed to within one at 14-13 and 15-14. Wilkes took the lead at 18-17 following a Reedy kill and three attack errors by the Warriors. Following a Lycoming timeout the Colonels run went to five points with an ace by Emily Gentzel (Yaphank, NY/Bellport). Lycoming then went back ahead 20-19 forcing a Colonels timeout. Two kills by Fitzpatrick gave the Colonels a 23-22 lead and forced Lycoming's second timeout. Lylah Oswald (Wyalusing, PA/Wyalusing) followed with an ace and the Colonels won the set on an attack error by Lycoming 25-22 to tie the match 1-1.

Lycoming went ahead 6-1 to begin the third set but Wilkes tied the score 6-6 following a five-point run highlighted by kill by Fitzpatrick, Hines, and Hope Ousey (Exton, PA/Henderson). The visitors then went on a 9-4 run to force a Wilkes timeout with the score at 15-10. The Colonels proceeded to go on an 8-3 run to tie the score 18-18 following an Ali Yordy (Fairfield, PA/Fairfield Area) ace. The Warriors answered back with the next four points to force the Colonels second timeout at 22-18. The teams would trade points from there with Lycoming going ahead 2-1 with the 25-21 win in the set.

The Colonels came out of the break strong, scoring the first seven points. Allison Murie (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest), Alexa Cassel (Mount Joy, PA/Lower Dauphin) and Olivia Marsh (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) collected kills during the run as blocks by Fitzpatrick and Hines and Cassel and Hines also contributed. Two kills by Reedy made the score 12-4 for Wilkes and forced a timeout by Lycoming. The Colonels lead went to 17-8 following points from Murie and Gentzel. Fitzpatrick helped take the Colonels home with four kills to make the score 23-12. Wilkes would win 25-14 following an attack error from Lycoming to force the fifth set to 15 points.

Wilkes went ahead in the fifth 5-3 following a block by Hines and Cassel. Kills by Hines and then Fitzpatrick made it 7-4 and the teams switched sides following a Warriors error with the score 8-4 Wilkes. Fitzpatrick, Hines and Reedy had back-to-back-to-back kills to make it 11-5. Wilkes would use a timeout with its lead at 11-7. Reedy had a kill to make it 12-8 and Ousey followed to make it 13-9. A Reedy kill put Wilkes on the doorstep of the win at 14-11 and the Colonels won 15-11 on a Fitzpatrick kill to take the match 3-2.

Fitzpatrick hit .302 for her 25 kills with nine errors on 52 attacks. She added 11 digs for her second double-double of the year. Reedy added her ninth career double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs and Cassel had her 15th career double-double with 40 assists and 10 digs. Yordy led the defense with 23 digs and Gentzel added a career high 15. At the net, Hines led the Colonels with a career best six blocks while tying her career high with eight kills.

Cameron Upcraft led Lycoming with 14 kills. Kendall Myers had 21 digs and Marykatelin Button finished with 38 assists. Elizabeth Kelson and Arianna Santos had six blocks for the Warriors.

Wilkes led in the team stats in kills 57-47 and digs 75-65. Lycoming led in aces 9-7 and blocks 11-8.

The Colonels return to action Saturday for a tri-match in Scranton, Pa. Wilkes faces Cabrini University at 1:00 p.m. and then the host Marywood University at 3:00 p.m. in non-conference action.