Women’s Volleyball season ends with loss to Lyon

LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. --- Carlow University women's volleyball saw its season end with a hard-fought 3-0 loss to Lyon (Ark.) College at the USCAA Championship tournament Friday afternoon.

The Celtics (7-19) battled through all three sets against the Scots (17-8) and left it all out on the court. Lyon won the match, 25-14, 25-23 and 25-17.

Junior outside hitter Rebecca Hess (New Alexandria, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) hit .300 in the match and led the Celtics with 13 kills and seven digs. Emily Hess (New Alexandria, Pa./River Valley HS) and Sarah Porter (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway HS) combined for 25 assists, and Paige Keller (Liberty Borough, Pa./South Allegheny HS) tallied three of Carlow's seven service aces on the day.

Trailing 13-7 in the first set, Rebecca Hess made a diving save and Claire Yezovich (Irwin, Pa./Woodland Hills HS) covered a zero block to keep the rally going. Carlow's efforts allowed Emily Hess to set Alison Humberston (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands HS) for the kill. The Scots later went on a 6-1 run to lead 23-11 enroute to a 25-14 first set victory.

The Celtics played their best set of the match in the second, starting out with a 5-1 advantage. Lyon scored four points in a row to trail Carlow, 9-8, prompting a timeout from Head Coach Julie Gaul.

A Lyon service error handed the ball back to the Celtics before three Lyon kills and a Carlow service error saw the game tied at 11-all.

The Scots covered the floor well, recovering from zero blocks to regroup and land kills, outscoring the Celtics, 5-1, and gaining a 15-12 lead.

Three Lyon errors in a row kept Carlow in the game, trailing 20-19. A big kill from Javonna Perkins (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) saw the Celtics trailing 21-20, and the team kept the game within a point or two until the end. A kill by Rebecca Hess and an ace from Kelsey Sufak (Allison Park, Pa./Deer Lakes HS) had Carlow down 24-23, but the Scots landed the final kill of the set to win, 25-23.

Tied at 5-5 in the third set, the Scots strung together a 4-0 run before Carlow called a timeout. Out of the timeout, a Celtics attack error and a kill put the Scots ahead, 11-5. A kill from Humberston for the side out set off a 5-0 run that included three service aces from Keller and a kill by Jorja Sedlar (Brentwood, Pa./PA Leadership Charter School) that had the Celtics trailing, 11-10.

The Scots went ahead, 17-13, but Carlow brought it back with a big block by Rebecca Hess and Keller that put the Celtics within one and forced a Lyon timeout. Following the timeout, the Scots went on an 8-1 run to end the set and the match, 25-17.

Kylee Sabella led Lyon with 13 kills and 10 digs, while Cristen Cleveland added 10 kills, 14 digs and recorded five of the Scots' nine service aces. Lyon hit .371 as a team on the day.