ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst volleyball team bested East Stroudsburg 3-2 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action on Friday night. The Lakers claimed sets two (25-19), four (25-23), and five (15-12) leaving the Warriors to claim sets one (27-25), and four (25-23). The Lakers move to an 8-15 overall record and a 4-8 PSAC record.
Shelby Chesko led the Lakers offense posting 23 kills throughout the five sets.
Katie Baird contributed 18 points, as well as four aces and 11 digs for Mercyhurst.
Alyssa Zirnheld and
Alyssa Kling both added 13 kills. Zirnheld led the ace category for Mercyhurst with seven, three of which were consecutive. Kling and Zirnheld led blocks each with one block assist apiece.
Makayla Mollé and
Abby Rose led assists with 36 and 26 respectively, Rose also added an ace.
Hannah Vuylsteke led digs with 28.
East Stroudsburg (13-10, 3-9 PSAC) was led by Desiree Claxton who recorded 17 kills one ace and 14 digs. Sara Smith also contributed 10 kills, and 11 digs for the Warriors. Sam Dumphy and Jasmime Williams each added five kills.
East Stroudsburg claimed the first set 27-25, claiming the last two consecutive points to close the door and secure the set. The Lakers would hold the lead twice in the set going up 2-1 early in the set on a kill from Chesko, and when they claimed a 7-6 on a service error.
Zirnheld helped push the Lakers to victory in set two breaking a 6-6 scoring deadlock with a four point serving streak that encompassed three consecutive aces. From this 9-6 lead the Lakers would play from the front to take the set. The closest the Warriors would come to claiming the lead would be when they trailed 20-17.
East Stroudsburg's third set victory was again by a two point margin that they acquired early on. The Warriors grabbed a 4-3 lead in the set which they would not lose through the remaindered of the set. Mercyhurst would make an offensive run to come back from a 9-13 deficit to knot the score at 18-18 despite their efforts the Lakers were unable to hold off East Stroudsburg from claiming the set.
Mercyhurst was in the driver's seat for the fourth set claiming the lead and controlling it through the entire sit. The Lakers lead would extend to as high as four when they went 20-16. Baird earned the final kill of the set pushing the Lakers to a 25-23 set score and forcing the final set.
Mercyhurst earned their match victory when they claimed the final set 15-12. The Lakers came back from an early 0-2 deficit, claiming three consecutive points to lead 3-2. East Stroudsburg would tie the action four times in the set but would never take the lead. Mercyhurst broke a 12-12 deadlock and scored three consecutive points to end the game, the final two kills came from Chesko.
The Lakers will play tomorrow against Kutztown at 2pm in the Mercyhurst Athletics Center.
