CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion University women's volleyball game came out firing on all cylinders taking the first two sets from NCAA Division III powerhouse Juniata on its way to a 3-1 win over the visiting Eagles Tuesday night at Tippin Gym.
 
"Overall, I'm pleased with how we played," Clarion head coach Jennifer Mills said. "Juniata is a team we have always struggled with. They are very well coached."
 
It marked just the third time in school history the Golden Eagles (19-1) beat Juniata (20-3) but the second straight season Clarion has topped the Eagles and the third time in the past four tries.
 
The Golden Eagles took the first two sets by identical 25-19 scores before Juniata (20-3) rallied in the third to make it a match with a 25-17 victory. The Eagles then led 20-18 in the fourth set before Clarion took seven of the final eight points to win the set and the match. Carlie Bieranowski had four of her 13 kills during the final stretch.
 
"The first two sets we played very well," Mills said. "We came out flat in the third set, as you sometimes do in when leading 2-0. But we picked it up in the fourth set."
 
Emily Stewart led Clarion with 19 kills and 16 digs, while Hannah Heeter added 11 kills, two digs and a block while hitting .303 (11 kills, 1 error, 33 attempts).
 
Laura Subject, fresh of being named PSAC West Player of the Week earlier in the day, continued her outstanding play with 47 set assists, 17 digs and two kills, while Morgan Seybold led the defense with 33 digs. Corinne Manley chipped in on offense with seven kills while hitting .462 (7-1-13).
 
Clarion returns to action with a pair of matches Friday at East Stroudsburg in PSAC Crossover play. The Golden Eagles take on East Stroudsburg at 11:30 a.m. before facing Cheyney at 5 p.m.
 
NOTES – The 19-1 start is Clarion's best after 20 games in school history … Saturday, Subject became the sixth player in school history to break 2,000 career set assists. She has 2,095, the sixth most in school history … Mills is the winningest coach in school history with 164 wins (164-62). With one more win, she will have led Clarion to 20-win campaigns in five of her first seven seasons as the head coach.