ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Cedar Crest College volleyball team was topped by Marywood University in four sets at Lees Gymnasium on Tuesday night, with the set scores being 25-19, 18-25, 25-9, 25-12.

The first set opened with a commanding 6-0 start for the visitors, capitalizing on two service aces by sophomore Libby Zick (New Milford, Pa.). The Falcons responded with a series of successful plays, including a notable kill by senior Ellise Everett (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona) at 12-8, set up by junior Tianlly Davila (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Governor Thomas Johnson). Despite a late push to narrow the gap to 23-19, Cedar Crest fell short as the Pacers secured the set 25-19 after a series of efficient plays, concluding with a final point due to an attack error by first-year Kayla Duenkel (Central Square, N.Y./Bishop Grimes).

The second set opened with an early push by the visitors, who took an 8-2 lead, capitalizing on several attack errors by the Falcons. However, the Falcons responded with a decisive rally, led by Davila and Everett, turning the tide with a series of kills and blocks. Everett's service ace at 20-17 marked a significant momentum shift, and Cedar Crest closed the set on a strong 9-1 run to secure a 25-18 victory.

The third set began with the Falcons capitalizing on an early service error by Marywood, followed by a service ace from Davila at 2-0. Despite this strong start, Cedar Crest faced a challenging stretch as the Zick delivered consecutive service aces to give the visitors an 8-4 lead. The Falcons attempted to regain momentum with a kill from first-year Sophia Curran (Sugar Hill, Ga./Lanier), but the Pacers' offense, highlighted by junior Taylor Hallam (Harrisburg, Pa.) and first-year Carolina Samaniego (Laredo, Texas), extended their lead to 22-8. Ultimately, Marywood secured the set 25-9, concluding with a block by Hallam.

Cedar Crest began the fourth set with an early point from Davila's assist but faced a challenging stretch as the Pacers capitalized on a series of errors to pull ahead 9-3. Everett's kill from Davila's setup helped the Falcons regain some momentum, but Marywood's consistent offense, highlighted by Hallam's multiple contributions, extended their lead to 18-8. Despite a brief rally with a service ace and a kill from Duenkel, Cedar Crest could not overcome Marywood's advantage, ultimately concluding the set with a 25-12 score in favor of the visitors.

Everett paced the Falcons with 10 kills and added 14 digs, contributing a total of 12.5 points. First-year Phoebe Pietila (Hayesville, N.C./Hayesville) anchored the defense with 19 digs, while also serving effectively with one ace. Davila facilitated the offense with 14 assists and supported the effort with seven kills. Duenkel provided a strong defensive presence at the net, recording three total blocks.

Hallam led the Pacers with a .462 hitting percentage, recording seven kills and two solo blocks. Zick was a standout in serving, delivering seven aces while adding 14 assists and seven digs. First-year Andrea Fraga (Laredo, Texas) anchored the defense with an impressive 33 digs. Sophomore Genevieve Pollock (Wallkill, N.Y.) contributed steadily to the offense with nine kills and five digs, maintaining a .138 hitting percentage.

Cedar Crest (0-11 overall) will next face Stockton University on the road on Thursday, September 18 at 7:00 p.m. Marywood (9-1 overall) returns to action on Saturday, September 20 in a tri-match at Penn State Berks. The Pacers will square off with Berks at 1:00 p.m. and Penn State Abington at 3:00 p.m.