ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Wilkes women's volleyball team traveled to Elizabethtown College for a tri-match, falling to the host and Alvernia University on Saturday afternoon.
Following the tri-match, Wilkes falls to a 13-12 overall record and 2-5 in Landmark play.
Match 1: Elizabethtown 3, Wilkes 0
In the first set, both teams were looking for a conference win as playoff implications are on the line. Wilkes and Elizabethtown traded kills and service aces as they were tied 30-30 in a high-scoring battle. The Colonels surrendered three-straight points from two attack errors and a kill by the Blue Jays, closing the set 32-30.
The Blue Jays rallied in the second set, opening with an eight point surge to build a commanding lead.
Ava Wahlers (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport) responded with a kill, but it was not enough as Elizabethtown continued their attack with a 20-4 advantage. The Colonels battled as they posted seven points in a row, with key kills from Wahlers and
Abby Dornblaser (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown). The Colonels fell short as the Blue Jays secured the set with back-to-back kills.
Tied at 15-15 in the third set, the Blue Jays found a spark that pushed a five-point run. Wilkes responded with a kill from Dornblaser and Wahlers, but the Blue Jays were able to keep a substantial lead that resulted in a three-set victory.
Dornblaser led the team with eight kills, followed by Wahlers with seven.
Mia Leon (Ponce, PR/Caribbean) and Wahlers lead the team in blocks with 2 each, while Leon also led the team in digs with 16.
Rachael Anderson (Canmore, AB/West Island College) contributed to the offense with 15 assists in the afternoon.
Match 2: Alvernia 3, Wilkes 2
Wilkes bounced back after their Landmark Conference loss, opening the first set with a 14-3 lead. Wilkes was on a four-point run with kills from Leon and Dornblaser along with a service ace from
Kendra Kalp (Somerset, PA/Rockwood) that forced a timeout. Out of the timeout, Alvernia created a four-point surge, but it was not enough as Wilkes took the set with a service ace from Leon.
The second set started with the same energy as the first, but the Golden Wolves ultimately matched the tempo of the Colonels. Wilkes was able to maintain a healthy lead throughout the set with major kills from
Charlize Leukus (York haven, PA/Red Land) and Kalp, securing the set 25-20 with back-to-back kills from Leon and
Emilee Atherholt (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport).
Despite Wilkes being up by two sets, the Golden Wolves were not deterred from searching for a victory. In the third and fourth set, Alvernia found their momentum and secured both sets 25-18 and 25-17 respectively.
Both teams were eager to secure this set to seal the victory, with both teams matching their offensive attacks. The Colonels were unable to keep up with the Golden Wolves attack as Alvernia secured the victory, taking the set 18-16.
Kalp led the team with 16 kills, while Leon led in aces (4) and digs (16). Atherholt recorded four blocks in the afternoon, while Anderson led the team again in assists with 22.
The Colonels return to action on Wednesday, October 21 at 6 p.m. against Lackawanna College.
