ASTON, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College volleyball team lost a pair of matches at the Knights Invitational on Saturday, falling to the host Neumann University by a 3-0 score and then to Widener University, 3-1.

Match One – Neumann University 3, Cedar Crest 0 (25-13, 25-21, 28-26)

Neumann started the first set on a 6-0 run, finished off by a service ace by senior Dani Smith (Morinville, Alberta). Later in the set, the Knights extended its lead to 12, 23-11, after a 7-1 run. Neumann eventually captured the set by a 25-13 score.

Cedar Crest began the second set on a 4-1 run, finished off by a kill from junior Alana Connor (Manassas, Va./Charles J. Colgan). The teams traded leads over the middle part of the frame and after the Falcons made the score 18-17, Neumann finished the set on an 8-3 run for the 25-21 set score.

In the third set, after the Knights tied the score at eight, Cedar Crest embarked on a 7-2 run to build a five-point lead. The set remained tight for the remainder of the match. Following a Neumann point to tie the score at 20, the Falcons strung together three consecutive points to give the visitors a 23-20 advantage. The set would eventually be tied at 25 and then an attack error from Neumann to give Cedar Crest a one-point lead. The Knights went onto win the next three points to take the set, 28-26, and the match in straight sets.

First-year Julia Solomon (Ridley Park, Pa.) guided Neumann with 11 kills and pitched in six digs. Smith registered a match-high 30 assists to go along with two kills, six service aces, and six digs. First-year Hannah Strohm (Leola, Pa.) recorded a team-high 15 digs.

Connor led the Falcons with eight kills and added one service ace, one block and seven digs. Sophomore Tianlly Davila (Frederick, Md./Governor Thomas Johnson) recorded 23 assists, one service ace, and four digs. Senior Akashia Johnson (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) and junior Ellise Everett (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona) chipped in a match-high four blocks apiece while graduate student Rebekka Sanchez-Castro (Columbia, Md./Atholton) had a match-high 20 digs.

Match Two – Widener 3, Cedar Crest 1 (25-15, 25-12, 23-25, 25-17)

Widener started fast with a 7-0 run, capped off by a kill from junior Kristen Vacca (Stoney Creek, Ontario). Later in the set after Cedar Crest cut the deficit to five, 13-8, the Pride scored five straight points to build a 10-point advantage, 18-8. The squads split the final 14 points of the set and Widener won the frame, 25-15.

The Pride had another quick start, tallying the first six points and 10 of the first 12 points of the second set, 12-2. Widener stayed in command of the set, extending its lead to as many as 14, 21-7. The Falcons responded with a mini 5-1 run to cut the margin to 10, 22-12. The Pride then won the last three points of the set to capture the stanza, 25-12.

The teams split the opening 40 points of set number three, 20-20. A mini 3-1 run gave Cedar Crest the 23-21 lead and the Falcons were able to hang on for a 25-23 set win.
After the Falcons got out to a 6-4 lead in the fourth set, Widener went on a 7-0 run to extend the margin to five, 11-6. Later in the set, Cedar Crest cut it to 16-15 after a kill by Johnson. The Pride then concluded the set on a 9-2 run to capture the stanza, 25-17, and the match, 3-1.

Senior Abigail Herrin (Ridley, Pa.) and junior Azira Benjamin (Broomall, Pa.) paced Widener with 12 kills apiece. First-year Campbell Chronister (New Oxford, Pa.) tallied 29 assists. Junior Liz Barnes (Easton, Pa.) guided the Pride defense with 29 digs.

Graduate student Ziah Melton (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) and Everett led the Falcons with 10 kills each. Davila had a match-high 30 assists. Sanchez-Castro pitched in a team-best 21 digs.

Following the Invitational, Melton was named to the All-Tournament Team. 

Cedar Crest (3-6 overall) will return home to host Moravian University on Wednesday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m.