ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Cedar Crest College volleyball team fell twice in a home tri-match on Saturday at Lees Gymnasium, resulting in straight-set defeats to both Penn State Brandywine and Washington College.

Match One – Penn State Brandywine 3, Cedar Crest 0 (25-11, 25-23, 26-24)

The Lions established early control in the first set against the Falcons. After an initial point by Cedar Crest, Brandywine responded with decisive plays, including sophomore Emma O'Reilly (Horsham, Pa.)'s service aces and sophomore Emmalin Molinaro (North Caldwell, N.J.)'s kills, leading to a solid 5-1 advantage. The momentum continued as sophomore Morgan Rizer (Denton, Md.) and sophomore Hailey Piccirillo (Broadlands, Va.) added kills, pushing the advantage to 8-4. The Lions maintained pressure, highlighted by service aces from Molinaro and senior Laura Jezyk (Wilmington, Del.), and closed out the first set 25-11 on a final kill from Piccirillo.

The second set saw a significant momentum shift as Brandywine capitalized on Cedar Crest's errors, leveling the score at 4-4. A strong service run from Molinaro, including another ace, pushed the Lions ahead to an 8-5 lead. Despite the Falcons tying the score at 22, Brandywine regained control with a critical kill from Piccirillo and finished the set 25-23.

In the third set, Cedar Crest opened with a quick 4-0 lead, but the Lions quickly fought back to equalize at 9-9. The teams traded points until Brandywine secured a narrow lead, ultimately winning the set 26-24 and the match.

O'Reilly led the Lions with nine kills on 23 attempts and contributed 13 digs and two service aces. Molinaro added seven kills and three service aces, totaling 10 points. Jezyk facilitated the offense with nine assists and served three aces without a fault. Rizer contributed six kills, one solo block, and assisted on two others, finishing with a total of nine points.

Ellise Everett (Orlando, Fla./Lake Nona) guided the Falcons with 18.0 points, recording 17 kills with a .424 hitting percentage across three games. Senior Tianlly Davila (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Governor Thomas Johnson) contributed significantly in setting, with 25 assists, three service aces, and no errors. Defensively, first-year Phoebe Pietila (Hayesville, N.C./Hayesville) stood out with 16 digs.

Match Two – Washington College (Md.) 3, Cedar Crest 0 (25-12, 25-23, 25-3)

Cedar Crest struggled in the first set against Washington College (Md.), quickly falling behind 3-0. Despite a brief response from first-year Sophia Curran (Sugar Hill, Ga./Lanier), the visitors maintained control, taking the set 25-12 with strategic plays and key service aces.

The Falcons attempted to shift momentum in the second set with an early service ace from Davila, and despite a strong effort to tie the score at 22, the Shorewomen responded with consecutive kills to close the set 25-23.

In the third set, Cedar Crest faced challenges from the start, eventually succumbing to a dominant Washington team that recorded a .846 hitting percentage. The Shorewomen maintained their control throughout the set, resulting in a decisive 25-3 victory.

Davila led the Falcons with 11 assists and added three service aces. Pietila contributed defensively with a team-high 11 digs, while junior Maiya Piccarreta (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone Area) recorded six digs. First-year Kayla Duenkel (Central Square, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) provided additional offensive support with four kills across three sets.

For Washington College, senior Allison McKechnie (Coronado, Calif.) delivered six service aces and contributed eight assists. Freshman Emma Shaner (Newark, Del.) recorded eight kills on 10 attempts with a hitting percentage of .700, while sophomore Lyndsey Wessel (Huntington Beach, Calif.) converted all three attempts into kills, adding a solo block to her performance.

Cedar Crest (1-15 overall, 0-1 United East) to face Rosemont College on Tuesday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m.