BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College volleyball team dropped a heartbreaker to Moravian University on Wednesday night by a 3-2 final (25-18, 20-25, 19-25, 25-14, 15-11) in non-conference action at Johnston Hall. 

The Greyhounds battled back from a set down to force a fifth and deciding set.  

Moravian first-year Gabbie Reigner (North Wales, Pa.) led the home team with 11 kills, 17 digs, and two service aces. Junior Jenna Deegan (Easton, Pa.) added six kills and four blocks. Sophomore Ally Plitnick (Collegeville, Pa.) turned in a performance of 19 assists and a pair of service aces.  

Senior Ava Grapsy (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) paced the Falcons with a triple-double of 12 kills, 18 assists, and a match-high 26 digs. Junior Alexis Cummins (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) pitched in nine kills and five service aces. Senior Maddison Minyo (Covington, Pa./North Penn-Mansfield) chipped in eight kills and 19 digs. Classmate Rebekka Sanchez-Castro (Columbia, Md./Atholton) tallied 24 digs to go along with two service aces. First-year Nikki Blair (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) registered 14 assists and one service ace.  

The Greyhounds pulled out to a 14-10 lead in the opening set and later led 19-10 following a 5-0 run, finished off by a Cedar Crest attack error. Moravian built a big enough lead to withstand a late run the Falcons, who rallied behind an 8-3 run to pull within four at 22-18, but the Greyhounds would rally to eventually take the opening set 25-18 and grab the early 1-0 lead. 

After dropping the opening point of set two, the Falcons never trailed after that point as strong service by Minyo and Sanchez-Castro led to a 12-7 start. Moravian closed the game to three at 23-20, but a kill later by Grapsy capped the set and evened the match at 1-1.  

The Greyhounds got out to an 8-4 advantage in the third, but a 13-0 Cedar Crest run behind the serving of Cummins turned a four-point deficit into an 11-point lead, 17-8. Moravian responded with a 5-0 spurt, which was answered by four-straight from the Falcons to make it 21-13. The Falcons were able to hold off a late run from the home squad to take the third set, 25-19.  

Moravian took early control of the fourth frame, doubling up Cedar Crest 14-7. The Greyhounds led by as many as 11 and captured the stanza with a 25-14 score to force a fifth and deciding set.  

The teams the first 10 points of the fifth set before Moravian created a little separation with two-straight points to make it 7-5. The Falcons doubled up the Greyhounds, 4-2, over the next six points to knot the score at nine after a kill from sophomore Ellise Everett (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona).  

Moravian closed the match on a 6-2 run, capped off by the match-winning kill from Reigner for the 15-11 score.  

Cedar Crest (2-1 overall) will next host Penn State Berks and FDU-Florham in a tri-match on Saturday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively. Moravian (2-2 overall) returns to action at DeSales University on Wednesday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m.  

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