ERIE, Pa. – The Holy Cross volleyball team played a pair of five set matches earning 3-2 wins against St. Peter's and Mercyhurst Saturday afternoon at the final day of the Mercyhurst Invitational.
The wins move the Crusaders to 2-4 on the young season while the Peacocks record evens at 3-3 and the host Lakers fall to 1-6.
Freshman outside hitter
Emma Sorensen recorded 35 kills (3.50 K/S) and 21 digs (2.10 D/S) over both contests. She manufactured a career-high 18 kills hitting .277 in the five set victory over Mercyhurst.
Classmate, middle blocker
Kyla Harris hit .486 with 21 kills, eight total blocks and eight service aces. Sophomore defensive specialist
Alana Whitwell (28 digs, 2.80 D/S) and senior setter
Katie Russell (42 assists, 4.67 A/S) had team-bests in their respective categories.
The win in the first match versus St. Peter's was the first for head coach
Matthew Cribbin at Holy Cross.
MATCH ONE SET SCORES:
Crusaders 3, Peacocks 2 (25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 22-25, 17-15)
HOW MATCH ONE HAPPENED:Â
- Holy Cross built an early 7-1 lead to begin the match following a kill from freshman settler/right side KK Green and Whitwell's second ace of the set. St. Peter's regrouped following a timeout and put together an 8-3 scoring binge to pull within one 10-9. Holy Cross stopped momentum with a timeout and proceeded build upon their lead growing the score to 17-13 after another Green kill. Trailing 24-20, the Peacocks strung three straight points as the Crusaders used their final timeout. St. Peter's served long as the Crusaders won the opening set.
- St. Peter's produced five straight points to start the second set. Back-to-back Whitwell aces made it a 6-3 game. Down by four, three straight from Holy Cross cut into the margin at 11-10. St. Peter's took a timeout and tallied for consecutive points to regain a decent edge at 15-10. They pulled away outproducing the Crusaders 10-4 the rest of the set.
- In the third set Sorensen helped her team out to a 12-8 lead converting a set from freshman setter Emilia Powderly. Harris notched an ace to expand the score to 15-9. Four in a row by the Peacocks brought them within two, 15-13. Ahead by one, Harris came up huge for the Crusaders blocking an attack attempt and powering home a kill for the 21-18 margin. St. Peter's tied the match 22 all, but junior outside hitter Lily Eigner notched the final three kills for Holy Cross for the 25-23 victory.
- In the fourth set, the Peacocks led 10-5 early on. An ace pushed them head by nine, 15-6. Down 17-11 Holy Cross kept attacking as Sorensen's ace made it a three point deficit, 18-15. Facing set point, the Crusaders tallied three straight dropping their deficit to 24-22 until the Peacocks scored the final point.
- Holy Cross tied the final set 6-6 via a Peacock error. Holy Cross challenged a call which gave Eigner a kill for the 8-7 advantage. Holy Cross led 13-11 as St. Peter's tied the score 13-13 late in the deciding set and were on match point when Harris evened the margin at 14-14. The Crusaders again faced match point and responded when Harris and Sorensen teamed up for a block. They produced the final two points to capture the match.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Sorensen double-doubled for the second time over her last three matches.
- Harris hit a match-best .611 in the contest with a career-highs in kills (11), blocks (4).
- Whitwell's five aces established a new personal-best.
- Four of Green's six kills came in the first set.
MATCH TWO SET SCORES:
Crusaders 3, Lakers 2 (22-25, 25-17, 25-21, 18-25, 15-12)
HOW MATCH TWO HAPPENED:
- Three in a row from the hosts grew their lead to 11-8 in the opening set. Holy Cross jumped ahead 12-11 following an error. Back-to-back Harris kills put the Crusaders ahead 15-13. Trailing by three, Mercyhurst used an 8-1 run to climb back in front 23-19. The Crusaders came within two, but couldn't come closer as they fell 25-22 in the first set.
- The Crusaders had a 7-4 lead in the second set before taking a timeout following a 4-1 mini run from the Lakers to tie the set 8-8. After the stoppage, Holy Cross went on an 8-1 burst with Harris producing three consecutive aces and Eigner notching two kills for the 16-9 lead. Mercyhurst eventually cut the margin in half at 18-14 however the Crusaders retook control via four straight as they won the second set 25-17.
- Holy Cross built a 12-5 margin midway through the third set. Trailing 14-6 Mercyhurst crawled back over the next 10 points outscoring the Crusaders 7-3 to come within four, 17-13. Mercyhurst dropped the score to a two point deficit, 20-18, however two kills from Sorensen and a Laker serve into the net awarded the Crusaders the set.
- Russell's ace in the fourth set upped the score to 9-5 Crusaders. An 8-3 Mercyhurst run put them ahead 13-12. Down a pair, Holy Cross tied the stanza 16-16 as Green posted a kill with a Russell ace. From that point Mercyhurst closed the set on a 9-2 run to send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
- Sorensen jumped started the Crusaders with a kill in the fifth set, Harris followed with her fifth ace for the early 3-0 advantage. Her sixth ace expanded the edge to 4-0. Green's 10th kill of the match upped the margin to 8-5. Behind 13-8, Mercyhurst scored three straight making it a 13-11 set as Holy Cross took a timeout. Sorensen had a pair of kills to end the contest.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Eigner's eight kills were a new career-high.
- Harris matched a career-best with four blocks and her six aces were a new personal-high.
- Holy Cross posted 13 aces to Mercyhurst's four. The 13 aces were most in a match for the Crusaders since August 25, 2023 (FDU, 12).
- Whitwell tied her career-best with five aces and established a new high watermark in digs (15).
POSTGAME THOUGHTS:
UP NEXT:
- The Crusaders return to the Northeast region on Wednesday, September 10 for an away contest with Bryant (1-4) at 7 p.m.
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