NEW BRITAIN, Pa. — The Cedar Crest College volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon, losing to Wilkes University, 3-0, and Delaware Valley University, 3-1, at James Work Gymnasium.
Match One – Wilkes 3, Cedar Crest 0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-7)
The Falcons fell behind early in the first set, trailing 10-4 before a kill from first-year
Kylie Heffner (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) and another from classmate
Autumn Clewell (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton Area) narrowed the gap to 10-7. Despite later kills from sophomore
Kayla Duenkel (Central Square, N.Y./Bishop Grimes) and first-year
Taylor Friel (Nazareth, Pa/Nazareth Area), Cedar Crest could not string together enough points to recover, ultimately losing the set 25-17.
The second set saw the Falcons rally behind sophomore
Phoebe Pietila's (Hayesville, N.C./Hayesville) serve, scoring four consecutive points with a kill from sophomore
Samantha Fitzpatrick (Royse City, Texas/Community) and three attack errors from Wilkes, narrowing the score to 18-15 after trailing 18-11. Kills from Duenkel and first-year
Gabby Manygoats (Bloomfield, N.M./Navajo Preparatory School) late in the set weren't enough, and the Colonels took the set 25-19.
In the third set, a significant service turn by first-year Leah Nagle (Orefield, Pa.) put Cedar Crest in a deep hole, moving from a 15-6 deficit to 22-6, aided by two aces and multiple attack errors from the Falcons. Although Fitzpatrick, Heffner, and Duenkel each recorded kills, Cedar Crest couldn't mount a comeback, losing the set 25-7.
Heffner led the Falcons with seven kills, seven digs, and two block assists. Duenkel added six kills, while Pietila had a team-high 13 digs. Clewell contributed with 14 assists and 10 digs.
Match Two – Delaware Valley 3, Cedar Crest 1 (25-16, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20)
Cedar Crest initially fell behind in the first set, trailing 8-2 and then 9-3, but managed to close the gap to 9-7 thanks to a kill from Duenkel. However, the Aggies regained control, winning the set 25-16.
The Falcons showcased their resilience in the second set, recovering from a 13-11 deficit. A kill from Friel and consecutive Delaware Valley attack errors propelled Cedar Crest to a 14-13 lead, and a late kill from Fitzpatrick sealed the 25-23 win for the Falcons.
In the third set, Cedar Crest surged ahead, winning seven of the initial eight rallies, with a block by Fitzpatrick and Manygoats contributing to their momentum. Despite leading 20-18, the Falcons could not hold on as the Aggies rallied to win the set 25-23.
The fourth set saw Cedar Crest briefly lead 4-1, thanks to consecutive aces from Friel, but the Delaware Valley responded with four straight points to pull ahead. Even after a late push that brought the score to 23-20, the Aggies finished strong, closing the set 25-20.
Friel paced the Falcons with nine kills, three service aces, and 12.5 points, while Duenkel added seven kills and three blocks. Pietila again led in digs with 13, and Clewell tallied a team-high 17 assists.
Cedar Crest (0-3 overall) remains on the road for a match at Drew University on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:00 p.m.
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