ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Cedar Crest College volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to non-conference opponent DeSales University at Lees Gymnasium on Wednesday night in its home opener.
The Bulldogs won by scores of 22-25, 25-15, 28-26, and 25-23.

After DeSales went up 3-2 in the opening set, the Falcons rattled off a 9-2 run to build an 11-5 advantage. The visitors cut the deficit to just two with 4-0 mini-run, which was immediately answered by three straight points for Cedar Crest to make the score, 14-9. The Falcons remained in front for the remainder of the set and came away with the three-point set win, 25-22.

The Bulldogs doubled up Cedar Crest, 8-4, in the early going of set number two. DeSales led by as many as seven before finishing on a 6-1 run to even the match at one set apiece, 25-15.

The Falcons led by as many as six in the third set, 22-16, but the Bulldogs closed the gap to knot the stanza at 24-24. Cedar Crest grabbed a one-point lead after a kill from senior Alexis Cummins (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) to make the score 26-25. DeSales then scored three straight points to take a 2-1 advantage. 28-26.

The fourth set was also tight. The Falcons went up 15-10 after an attack error, and then the Bulldogs scored seven of the next eight points to make it 17-16. Cedar Crest responded with a 4-1 run of its own and then DeSales later tied it at 20. With the Falcons ahead 23-21, the Bulldogs tallied the final four points to capture the set and the match.

First-year Allison Reimer (Schnecksville, Pa.) turned in a double-double of 11 kills and 17 digs in the win for DeSales.

Junior Alana Connor (Manassas, Va./Charles J. Colgan) paced the Falcons with 11 kills, one assist, three service aces, and 10 digs. Senior Alexis Cummins (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) chipped in 10 kills, one assist, two blocks, and nine digs. Graduate student Ava Grapsy (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) handed out a team-high 27 assists and classmate Rebekka Sanchez-Castro (Columbia, Md./Atholton) guided the defense with 33 digs.

Cedar Crest (2-1 overall) will travel to Montclair State University on Saturday, September 7 for a tri-match. The Falcons will square off against Bard College at 1:00 p.m. and then face the host Red Hawks at 3:00 p.m.