Women’s Volleyball falls 0-2 at La Roche quad match

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University women's volleyball lost two tough matches to La Roche University and Bethany (W. Va.) College in a quad match inside Kerr Fitness Center gymnasium Saturday.

Host La Roche (3-2) swept the Celtics 25-23, 25-15 and 26-24 in the 10 a.m. game. Carlow took Bethany (6-6) to four sets in the noon game, winning the first set 25-22 before falling 25-21, 25-18 and 25-21.

vs. La Roche: L, 3-0

The Celtics (4-4) opened the day with a three-set battle against La Roche.

Rebecca Hess (New Alexandria, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) led Carlow with eight kills and 12 digs, and Kelsey Sufak added 15 digs and five service aces. Javonna Perkins (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) helped defensively with four blocks, while Emily Hess (New Alexandria, Pa./River Valley HS) and Sarah Porter (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway HS) contributed 10 assists apiece.

The most exciting rally of the game came in the win-by-two third set. Both teams tied the score several times throughout the set. A Red Hawks attack error and kill from Alison Humberston (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands HS) saw La Roche leading, 24-23. The subsequent rally resulted in both teams flying all over the court and diving to continue the play, culminating in another huge kill from Humberston that tied the game at 24-all.

After a La Roche timeout, a Carlow service error and a kill from Kalli Grine ended the game, 26-24, in favor of the Red Hawks.

La Roche jumped out to an 18-9 advantage in the first set before the Celtics began chipping away at the lead.

The Celtics outscored La Roche 13-5 with an ace from Sufak putting Carlow within striking distance, trailing 23-22. The Red Hawks landed a kill after a called timeout, but a service error kept Carlow in the game before another kill ended the set 25-23 in favor of La Roche.

The Red Hawks held Carlow to single digit kills in the second set. The Celtics began the set leading 10-6 until a big 13-0 rally from La Roche forced Carlow to call both of its time outs. A Red Hawks service error broke the streak after the final timeout, but the Celtics could not recover from the deficit.

Grine led the Red Hawks with 10 kills and the team landed 10 service aces in the game.

vs. Bethany: L, 3-1

Carlow regrouped to take Bethany to four sets in the noon match.

Humberston landed a season-high 20 kills, while Rebecca Hess added a double-double 12 kills and 15 digs. Sufak recorded a career-high 21 digs, and Emily Hess and Porter both contributed double-doubles. Emily Hess tallied 21 assists and 11 digs, while Porter added 19 assists and 10 digs in the effort.

The Celtics led almost the entire first set, going on an 8-2 run to take a 20-14 advantage late in the game to hold on for the 25-22 win.

Bethany started the second set ahead 9-4 before the Celtics clawed back to tie the game at 10-all. The Bison steadily gained a lead over Carlow, winning the second set, 25-21.

Although the Celtics held Bethany to just eight kills in the third set, the Bison took advantage of five Carlow service errors and eight attacking errors to win, 25-18.

A slow start for the Celtics in the fourth set saw the game tied 6-6 before a 14-8 run put the Bison ahead, 20-14, enroute to another 25-21 victory.

Adriana Gilliam led Bethany with 15 kills, and Anna Taylor added 31 digs.

Carlow hosts Washington & Jefferson College for a 6 p.m. match Sept. 18.