Volleyball Misses Chance at Revenge With 3-1 Loss to DeSales
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College women’s volleyball team sought to avenge a straight-set loss to DeSales University in last weekend’s Buttermaker Tournament, but again fell to the Bulldogs, 3-1, on Tuesday night in Johnston Hall.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
|
23 | 25 | 15 | 9 | 1 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | DeSales University | Moravian University |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .297 | .151 |
| Blocks | 4.0 | 12.0 |
| Digs | 61 | 57 |
| Aces | 8 | 3 |
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College women's volleyball team sought to avenge a straight-set loss to DeSales University in last weekend's Buttermaker Tournament, but again fell to the Bulldogs, 3-1, on Tuesday night in Johnston Hall.
The first two sets were split after closely contested battles, especially in the final 10 points. DeSales (7-2) won the first set 25-23 after claiming the final two points, but Moravian (4-5) responded with a 25-22 victory in the second set, which featured a 16-10 run and a three-point run to end the set.
The Bulldogs tightened their bite in the third and fourth sets, prevailing 25-15 and 25-9 to win their seventh match of the season.
"I was happy with the energy to start the match," said Head Coach Shelley Bauder. "We lost to them over the weekend at the Butternaker Tournament, so we wanted some revenge. We were inconsistent. When we're firing on all cylinders and smooth in our transitions, then things go pretty well. We have to learn how to stay focused when the opposing teams goes on a run, so we can stop that swing the momentum in our favor. They had too many big runs."
Two towering Greyhound freshmen did everything they could to halt those DeSales runs. Middle blocker Taylor Kornmann registered six blocks to go along with her 10 kills, and opposite hitter Lauren Piccinich finished with five blocks and five kills.
Bauder's model for consistency is senior setter Kelly Brown, who turned in a typical balanced performance of 37 assists, four kills and four digs.
Freshman libero Kim Groff had 14 digs from behind the line.
Moravian was again missing the services of junior outside hitter Taylor Jennings, who is being held out with an injury. The team looks forward to her return at the Old Friends Crossover at Susquehanna University.
At the Old Friends, Moravian takes on Messiah and Elizabethtown. Bauder admits she is close friends with all the coaches at the event, but once the whistle blows, the friendliness ends.
"I'm excited to see everyone and play everyone again," Bauder said. "It's a very tough competition, so we're going to have to play well on the road."
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| Members of the St. John Neumann CYO volleyball team line up to get autographs signed by the Greyhounds after Tuesday night's match against DeSales. |
After tonight's match with DeSales, members of the St. John Neumann CYO volleyball team got the chance for a meet and greet with their heroes, the Moravian Greyhounds. Brown ushered her team behind a table near the coaches' office, where they signed autographs and shared some laughs with the Lady Saints.
Bauder hosted the Lady Saints at her summer camp, where a number of Greyhounds volunteered as counselors. The young girls couldn't wait for their chance to see their summer coaches play a Division III volleyball match.
Moravian is back in action on Friday, September 13 at the Old Friends Crossover at Susquehanna University. The Greyhounds will face Messiah at 6:30 p.m. before an 8:30 p.m. match with Elizabethtown, who is set to join the Landmark Conference in 2014.
