EASTON, Pa. – The Holy Cross volleyball team suffered a 3-1 loss to Patriot League opponent Lafayette on Friday evening at the Kriby Sports Center to open conference play.

Holy Cross slides to 3-7, 0-1 PL with the loss while the host Leopards improve to 5-4, 1-0 PL.

Sophomore Rachel Johnson produced a team-best 15 kills in the setback. She was joined by junior Abbie Lane who chipped in a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs in the defeat.

SET SCORES:

• Leopards 3, Crusaders 1 (24-26, 18-25, 25-22, 21-25)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Lafayette led 4-1 in the early stages of the match. A 5-1 Crusader burst getting back-to-back bad sets for the 6-5 lead. A block by juniors Sarah Stokes and Rian Millership pulled the Crusaders within one at 10-9. Still down by one, the Crusaders jumped ahead 16-14 midway through the set. A Lane ace put the guests up 18-15. With the Crusaders ahead 20-19, Lafayette produced a huge block for the 23-21 edge late. Three in a row by the Crusaders including a freshman Haley Gill ace put the Crusaders on the brink of a 1-0 lead. Lafayette notched the final three points to capture the set.
• Two straight kills from Johnson pushed the guests in front 4-0 early. Lane doubled up the Leopards with a left side mash to make it 8-4. Six straight markers for Lafayette moved them ahead 10-8. At the media stoppage, Lafayette led 15-11. Lane's second kill of the stanza brought the margin back to four at 17-13. Trailing by eight, the Crusaders cut into the margin via four straight markers making it 21-17. Lafayette won the second set 25-18.
• Junior Lauren Halverson and sophomore Gracie Reisman combined for a block and the 4-1 Crusader advantage in the third set. A senior Sanaea Simmons free ball kill upped the advantage to 8-2. Ahead 10-2, Lafayette chipped into the lead by doubling up the Crusaders 8-4 to come within four at 14-10 as Holy Cross took a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Leopards put home five straight markers to take their first lead 15-14. Millership buried a right side mash to tie the third set 20-20. Johnson's 10th kill of the contest pushed the Crusaders ahead 23-21. Reisman and Halverson concluded the set by clogging the middle and recording a block for the 25-22 win.
• Holy Cross came out of the break hot notching the first four points of the new set to lead 4-0 and force an early Lafayette stoppage. Halverson put home another kill to make it 7-3 HC. Holy Cross led 10-4 and Lafayette pulled within two, 10-8 as Johnson stopped the burst hammering an attack attempt just inside the back line. Holy Cross tied the set late at 21-21 then Lafayette scored the final four points to win.

INSIDE THE BOX:

• Johnson has tallied double-digit kills in eight of 10 matches (80%) this season.
• Lane double-doubled for the fifth time this season and for the 16th time in her career.
• Lane needs three more digs to reach 500 in her career.
• Gill manufactured a game-best 16 digs and has doubled-digit digs in seven of 10 matches (70%) in 2023.

UP NEXT:

• The Crusaders remain on the road Saturday, Sept. 16 at Lehigh.
• First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m.

 
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