ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College volleyball team took down Notre Dame of Maryland University on Saturday at Lees Gymnasium to begin United East Conference-Skye Division action.

The Falcons won in four sets by scores of 25-11, 25-15, 20-25, and 25-21.

Cedar Crest jumped out to a 9-2 advantage after a setting error by the Gators, which capped a 5-0 run. NDMU climbed back into the set after a service error from the Falcons to make the score 11-5, but a 5-0 spurt pushed the margin back to 11 (16-5), following a kill from junior Akashia Johnson (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute). Cedar Crest maintained a double-digit lead for the remainder of the set and closed the frame on a 6-2 run to win the opening set, 25-11.

The Falcons doubled up the Gators in the second set, 12-6, after a block by seniors Maddison Minyo (Covington, Pa./North Penn-Mansfield) and Ava Grapsy (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic). Later in the stanza, Cedar Crest stretched the margin to 11, 22-11, after a 5-0 run. NDMU scored three straight points, but the Falcons finished with a 3-1 spurt to capture the frame, 25-15.

The teams traded the first 22 points of the third set (11-11). The Gators went up 15-11 after a string of four straight points, finished off by a service ace. NDMU stayed in front by as much as six for the rest of the stanza and would make it 2-1 with a 25-20 victory.

Cedar Crest began the fourth set on a 5-1 run and stretched the margin to seven, 12-5, after an attack error from the Gators. The Falcons grew its lead to as many as seven, 17-10, following a kill by sophomore Ellise Everett (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona). Later in the frame, NDMU cut the deficit to two, 22-20 after a 4-0 run, but Cedar Crest outscored the Gators 3-1 for the remainder of the set to win the fourth set, 25-21, and the match in four sets.

Grapsy led Cedar Crest with a triple-double of 14 kills, 11 assists, and 12 digs. Everett chipped in nine kills and one block. Senior Ziah Melton (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) had eight kills and six digs. First-year Nikki Blair (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) finished with a double-double of 28 assists and 10 digs. Junior Alexis Cummins (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) recorded seven kills, 13 digs, and one service ace.

Cedar Crest (6-8 overall, 1-0 United East Conference-Skye Division) will next host Keystone College on Saturday, October 7 at 11:00 a.m. Notre Dame of Maryland (5-8 overall, 0-1 United East Conference-Skye Division) plays host to Penn State Mont Alto for its next match on Wednesday, October 4 at 7:00 p.m.

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