Box Score

CLARION, Pa.- The Mercyhurst volleyball team lost, 3-1, at Clarion Saturday afternoon. The Lakers fell by scores of 25-19, 27-29, 25-11, and 25-7 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division match.
 
Clarion took the first game, but the Lakers looked to get back into the contest in set two. Sarah Vick scored on the first point of the frame, but the Golden Eagles followed with a block for a point. Four straight Clarion attack errors gave Mercyhurst a 5-1 advantage. Nicole Texido continued the run with an ace, forcing a Clarion timeout.
 
The hosts made a move from there, eventually going up, 11-10 on a Laura Subject point. Camille Alvarez followed with a tying kill and then Lexi Stefanov blocked an Emily Stewart try to put the Lakers back in the lead. The teams went back and forth after that, with neither side scoring more than two straight points until Mercyhurst took a 23-20 lead on an Eagle error.
 
Clarion responded with two straight scores, causing a Laker timeout. Kelly Vitt found Vick for a kill on the next play, but the home team rallied with two points in a row, tying the game at 24. Vick scored to regain the Laker edge, but Clarion followed with consecutive points to go up a point. Vitt assisted on an Alvarez kill, but the Eagles scored again to take a 27-26 edge. Clarion had an error on the next play and then Tai Lattimore found Rachel Crittle for a kill and a 28-27 margin. Crittle and Kelsi Romatowski closed the frame with a block to give Mercyhurst a dramatic 29-27 victory.
 
Clarion took the next two sets to win the match, though, improving to 19-1 in the PSAC.
 
Stefanov led with 10 points (six kills, two block solos, four block assists) and Alvarez added 9.5 (eight kills, one block solo, one block assist). Vitt totaled 18 assists and Texido tallied 23 digs and three aces.
 
The Lakers fell to 16-14 overall and 10-10 in the conference. They host California (Pa.) and Seton Hill next weekend at the MAC.