ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Cedar Crest College volleyball team split a pair of matches in a home tri-match on Saturday, falling to Albright College, 3-0 (14-25, 16-25, 18-25) before rebounding to sweep Lehman College, 3-0, (25-17, 27-25, 25-18 on Saturday at Lees Gymnasium.
Match One – Albright 3, Cedar Crest 0
The Falcons were tied 5-5 in the first set before the Lions surged ahead with four straight points. Sophomore
Samantha Fitzpatrick (Royse City, Texas/Community) led Cedar Crest with three kills, while first-years
Taylor Friel (Nazareth, Pa/Nazareth Area),
Gabby Manygoats (Bloomfield, N.M./Navajo Preparatory School), and
Kylie Heffner (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) also contributed. Albright took the first set decisively at 25-14.
The second set saw the Falcons initially take a lead at 8-7, with first-year
Autumn Clewell (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton Area) setting up kills by Fitzpatrick, Manygoats, Duenkel, and Friel. However, the Lions responded with six consecutive points to gain control, and despite Friel adding two more kills, Albright secured the set 25-16.
In the third set, Cedar Crest briefly led 10-6 thanks to a service run by sophomore
Phoebe Pietila (Hayesville, N.C./Hayesville), but the Lions answered back, closing out the set and match with six straight points, finalizing the score at 25-18.
Friel led the Falcons with nine kills and added eight digs, while Clewell recorded 20 assists and Heffner contributed a team-high 12 digs. Fitzpatrick also added five kills and two digs.
Match Two – Cedar Crest 3, Lehman 0
In the match against Lehman, Cedar Crest turned the tide with a strong performance. They broke a 15-15 tie in the first set by winning seven of the next eight rallies, highlighted by Fitzpatrick's serving, which included an ace and a block by sophomore
Kayla Duenkel (Central Square, N.Y./Bishop Grimes). The Falcons overcame an 8-10 deficit earlier in the set with strong contributions from Manygoats and Friel, closing the first set 25-17.
The second set showcased a dramatic rally, with Cedar Crest down 21-24. Kills from Heffner and Duenkel, coupled with back-to-back service aces from Manygoats, allowed the Falcons to retake the lead at 25-24. After the Lightning tied it again at 25, Fitzpatrick's kill from Clewell set the stage for an ace that clinched the set at 27-25.
In the third set, the Falcons built on their momentum, turning a narrow 15-14 lead into a commanding 22-15 advantage. Pietila served four consecutive points, which included an ace, while Clewell and Friel contributed crucial plays. Cedar Crest completed the sweep with a 25-18 win, closing the match on another service ace from Manygoats.
Friel paced the Falcons with 11 kills and 14 points, alongside seven digs and two service aces. Pietila excelled with 20 digs, four assists, and three aces. Clewell added 20 assists and two aces, while Manygoats recorded five kills and a team-high four aces.
Cedar Crest (1-5 overall) will remain home to host Bryn Mawr College on Wednesday, September 16 at 7:00 p.m.
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