MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The Cedar Crest College volleyball team split a pair of matches at a tri-match at Montclair State University on Saturday afternoon at the Panzer Athletic Center. The Falcons defeated Bard College, 3-1, and then fell to the host Red Hawks, 3-0.

Match One – Cedar Crest 3, Bard 1 (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-20)

The teams traded the first 16 points of the opening set, 8-8. The Raptors then recorded five of the next six points to build a 13-9 advantage. After Bard made it 16-11, Cedar Crest answered with a 7-0 run behind strong serving from senior Daja Jackson (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Gilbert (Ariz.)) to put the Falcons in front, 18-16. Cedar Crest stayed in front for the rest of the set, taking it by a 25-20 score.

The Falcons jumped out to a 12-5 lead in set number two. The Raptors pulled to within three (13-10) with a mini 5-1 run. Bard would tie things at 15 and then Cedar Crest responded with a 5-0 run. The Raptors got as close as to within three points and it was the Falcons that prevailed 25-20.

Bard held an 8-3 lead early in the third set. The Falcons climbed back to within one, 13-12, after a kill from junior Ellise Everett (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona). Later in the frame with the score tied at 21, the Raptors tallied four of the final six points to edge Cedar Crest, 25-23.

In the third set after Bard made it a 12-11 score, the Falcons went on a 9-2 run to grab a six-point advantage, 20-14. The Raptors answered with a 6-1 spurt to trim the margin to one, 21-20. Cedar Crest then registered the final four points of the match to capture the set and the victory.

Junior Alana Connor (Manassas, Va./Charles J. Colgan) paced Cedar Crest with 14 kills to go along with two assists, two service aces, and nine digs. Graduate student Ziah Melton (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) followed with 11 kills, one service ace, one block assist, and two digs. Everett chipped in 10 kills and one dig. Graduate student Ava Grapsy (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic) contributed a double-double of 35 assists and 13 digs while classmate Rebekka Sanchez-Castro (Columbia, Md./Atholton) paced the Falcons defense with 23 digs.

Match Two – Montclair State 3, Cedar Crest 0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-14)

Montclair State started the match on a 5-0 run and led by as many as six before coming away with the 25-20 first set win.

The Red Hawks jumped out to a 9-3 advantage in the second set and then later used a 9-1 run to give the home team a 22-12 lead. The teams split the final six points of the set as Montclair State won by a 25-15 score.

The hosts once again started quick, getting out to a 9-2 advantage. They led by as many as 13 before capturing the set, 25-14, and the match in straight sets.

Grapsy pitched in a near triple-double of 10 kills, 12 assists, and nine digs for Cedar Crest. Sanchez-Castro once again guided the Falcons' defense with 25 digs.

Cedar Crest (3-2 overall) will stay on the road for a match at Alvernia University on Tuesday, September 10 at 7:00 p.m.