Women’s Volleyball drops home opener to Franciscan

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University women's volleyball rallied to win the second set before falling, 3-1, to Franciscan University at home Tuesday.

The Barons (4-2) took the first set, 25-20, before the Celtics (3-2) won the next set, 25-22. Franciscan won the final two sets, 25-18 and 25-17, cementing its victory.

Alison Humberston (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands HS) led Carlow with 16 kills on the night, followed by Rebecca Hess (New Alexandria, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) with a double-double 14 kills and 12 digs. Kelsey Sufak (Allison Park, Pa./Deer Lakes HS) led the Celtics on defense with 18 digs.

Carlow trailed early in the first set and could not recover, falling 25-20. The Celtics leapt to a 7-3 advantage in the second set before Franciscan tied the game at 9-all.

The teams traded leads and tied the game several times before Franciscan called a timeout leading 21-20. A service error when they returned tied the game at 21-all, and back-to-back attacking errors put Carlow ahead, 23-21.

A Carlow error cut the advantage to one point but kills from Humberston and Javonna Perkins (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) earned the Celtics a win.

Tied at one game apiece, the Barons regrouped in the third set. The Celtics trailed 6-1 to start and Franciscan outscored Carlow 12-8 to lead, 18-9, midway through the set. The Barons took the third set, 25-18.

Franciscan jumped out to an 8-0 lead and won the fourth set in nearly the same fashion, 25-17.

Gabrielle Disselkamp led the Barons with a double-double 13 kills and 16 digs, and two other Franciscan athletes recorded double-digit kills in the win. Franciscan landed 10 services aces on the night to Carlow's three, and the Celtics tallied seven blocks in the effort.

Carlow returns to action with a 7 p.m. match at Penn State Greater Allegheny Sept. 12.