ERIE, Pa. (Sept. 12) -- The Thiel College Women's Volleyball team split on the final day of the Penn State Behrend Invitational Saturday from the Junker Center.
The Tomcats (2-2) earned a five-set win over Utica in match one before falling to the host Lions in the nightcap.
Match 1: Thiel 3, Utica 2 (23-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-27, 19-17)
Set five featured 11 ties and six lead changes as the Cats had a pair of match-point tries at 14-13 and 15-14. The Pioneers (1-7) answered with 2 straight to have a chance at the match at 16-15 but Thiel responded as an
Arin DeLattre (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) solo block followed with a
Hannah Myers (Warren, Ohio/John F. Kennedy Catholic) kill made it 17-16. Even at 17, kills from
Caitlin Stephens (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) and Myers sealed the win for the Tomcats.
Myers logged a match-best 17 kills on .438 with three blocks (2 BS, 1 BA) and four digs. DeLattre smacked 10 kills and had a match-best five blocks (2 BS, 3 BA). Stephens added eight kills on .412.
After dropping set one, Thiel used a 10-1 spurt to lead 22-12 in frame two as
Sarah Wilson (Rural Valley, Pa./West Shamokin) capped the run with an ace. A pair of kills from
Lyndzee Amory (Edinboro, Pa./Saegertown) and one from
Ava Byer (Hollsopple, Pa./Canemaugh Township Area) evened the match at 1.
Amory added 10 kills and five digs while Byer had six kills and five digs. Wilson served a match-best-tying five aces and added nine digs.
An 11-1 Tomcat run in set three made it 16-6 Thiel as
Megan Darno (Beaver Falls, Pa./Blackhawk) had a block in the run. Two kills from Myers off assists from
Rian Owens (Neshannock, Pa./Neshannock) got Thiel to 20 first as they cruised to the 2-1 lead.
Darno added six kills and two blocks while
Rian Owens (Neshannock, Pa./Neshannock) distributed a match-best 26 helpers, dug eight balls and had two aces.
Addi Vagi (Marysville, Mich./Marysville) dished out 16 assists and had 12 digs for her first collegiate double-double.
Thiel had 71 digs as
Cindy Viera (Cleveland, Ohio/Holy Name) led the team with 13. Thiel held an 8-2 edge in blocks while holding the Pioneers to .111.
Match 2: Thiel 0, Penn State Behrend 3 (19-25, 18-25, 21-25)
The Cats struggled in the nightcap, hitting just .011 to the Lions' (7-1) .206. Myers led Thiel with six kills while
Isabella McCutcheon (Middleburg Heights, Ohio/Berea-Midpark) added three and two blocks.
Macie Williams (Cochranton, Pa./Cochranton) and Wilson led Thiel with seven digs each. Darno, DeLattre and McCutcheon all led Thiel with two blocks each.
Looking Ahead
Thiel will take on Penn Friday (6 p.m.) and Case Western Reserve (2 p.m.) Saturday at the Grove City Tournament.
