THE BASICS:

• Score: Holy Cross 3, Bucknell 1 (25-17, 18-25, 25-15, 25-23) 
• Records: Holy Cross (6-15, 5-5 PL); Bucknell (4-14, 3-7 PL)
• Location: Worcester, Mass. (Field House
• Date: October 24, 2014
• The Lead: Holy Cross sophomore Katie McKernan (Sylvania, Ohio) recorded her fourth triple-double of the season with 13 kills, 35 assists and 14 digs to help lead the Crusaders to a 3-1 victory over Bucknell at the Holy Cross Field House on Friday evening. The Crusaders Patriot League mark of 5-5 is their best record through 10 conference games since the 2000 season. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Holy Cross jumped ahead early in the first set with the 10-1 lead. The Bison brought the score the 12-6, before back-to-back kills by sophomore Natalie Welsch (Eden Prairie, Minn.) gave the Crusaders the 14-6 lead. Holy Cross held the six-point lead (19-13), before it closed out the set on a 6-4 run to earn the 25-17 victory.
• With the score tied at 5-5 in the second set, Bucknell went on a 10-5 rally to earn the 15-10 lead. Holy Cross closed the margin to two points (16-14), but the Bison ended the second set on a 9-4 run to earn the 25-18 win.
• In the third set, both teams were tied at 5-5, as the Crusaders went on a 7-2 run to advance the score to 12-7. Bucknell cut the margin to four points (16-12), but five straight points by Holy Cross gave it the 21-12 lead. The Crusaders ended the third set on a 4-3 run to earn the 25-15 third-set win.
• In the fourth set, both teams went back and forth, as the score was knotted at 14-14. Holy Cross scored four straight points, including a pair of kills by sophomore Mandy Sifferlen (Sudbury, Mass.), to gain the 18-14 lead. Bucknell closed the margin to one point with a 7-4 rally to make the score 22-21. The Crusaders, however, closed the match on a 3-2 run, with the final kill coming from junior Emily Oliver (Carlsbad, Calif.) to earn the 25-23 fourth-set victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• In addition to McKernan's performance, Sifferlen posted a double-double with a match-best 17 kills and 12 digs.
• Welsch and Oliver recorded 14 and 11 kills, respectively, while sophomore Emily Popp (Clarkston, Mich.) tallied a team-best 24 digs.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 25, when it will host Lehigh at 4:05 p.m. at the Holy Cross Field House.

STAY CONNECTED:

• There are numerous ways to stay connected with the Holy Cross volleyball team. Follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossVB, on Facebook and on Instagram. You can also get the latest news and results on the team sent directly to your e-mail. To sign up for e-mail alerts go here: http://www.goholycross.com/list-signup.