GREENVILLE, Pa. (Nov. 1) -- The Thiel College Women's Volleyball team bested Chatham University 3-1 Saturday afternoon on Senior Day from Maenpa Court at Beeghly Gymnasium in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) interdivisional action.
The Tomcats rise to 16-6 (11-3) and keep their hopes at the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament alive with set score wins of 24-26, 28-26, 25-16 and 25-22. The win also snaps a four-match series skid against the Cougars, who dip to 15-7 (10-4).
With her dig in set three,
Danielle Aulet (Lawrence, Kan./Mineral Ridge) became the second Tomcat ever with 2,000 career digs.
The Blue and Gold used a 5-0 set-two run to pull ahead 15-14 on a
Daisy Jenness (Pendleton, Ore./Pendleton) kill. After eight consecutive sideouts, the Cougars logged back-to-back points to lead 24-21. The Tomcats went on to fend off three set-point tries as they knotted things at 24. A Chatham sideout gave them one more set-point chance, but Thiel went on to log 4 of the final 5 points in the frame to knot the match at 1.
Jenness posted a match-leading 16 kills on .233 to go with nine digs.
Thiel rode the momentum into set three as a 7-0 run with Aulet at the service line gave the Tomcats a 14-6 edge. Aulet had a pair of aces in the run. The Tomcats led by as many as 10 in the set as they never trailed en route to the 2-1 lead.
Aulet finished with 14 digs and a team-most-tying two aces as her career digs total now sits at 2,008. She aims to best Stephanie Shipley's Thiel career record of 2.051 career digs.
Chatham led 13-9 in set four before a 4-0 Thiel run knotted things at 13. Following seven combined sideouts, Thiel logged 4 straight points, the first coming on an
Arin DeLattre (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) kill, to pull ahead 20-17. Chatham got as close as 1 down before kills from
Caitlin Stephens (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) and
Lyndzee Amory (Edinboro, Pa./Saegertown) sealed the win for the Tomcats.
DeLattre recorded 11 kills on .391 as she blocked a match-most six balls (3 BS, 3 BA). The junior added five digs and a team-high-tying two aces.
Stephens pitched in six kills and no errors as she hit .462. Amory posted 10 kills on .219 and dug three balls.
Thiel held a 14-7 set-one lead before the visitors clawed away and got within 1 at 21-20. The Cougars logged 4-of-6 to have a set point at 24-23 that the Tomcats fended off on an Amory kill. Chatham went on to log the final 2 points to take the opening frame.
Thiel hit .223 and held Chatham to .131.
Carlie Reynolds (Grove City, Pa./Grove City Area) dished out a team-best 28 assists and
Taegan Geiser (Holmesville, Ohio/Waynedale) logged 14 helpers. Reynolds added four digs while Geiser had five.
Devin Rhoads (Franklin, Pa./Rocky Grove) paced the Thiel defense with a season-most 15 digs.
Kylee Jordan (Orrville, Ohio/Waynedale) added eight along with two kills.
The Blue and Gold are back in action Wednesday for a 7 p.m. road PAC North match at Westminster. The Tomcats handled the Titans in straight sets in their first meeting this season.
