Clarion Athletics

GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Clarion volleyball team was edged on the road in a PSAC Southwest match on Friday, with the Golden Eagles falling 3-2 (20-25, 25-20, 25-21, 14-25, 12-15) to the Seton Hill Griffins.  Clarion (16-13, 10-7 PSAC) will close the regular season tomorrow evening when they face California (Pa.).
 
Clarion held a 2-1 lead after three sets, prevailing in the second and third of a match where the margin of error was razor-thin.  The Griffins took control in the fourth set, though, and the two teams were set on a collision course in the fifth.  The final stanza went back and forth, but ultimately Seton Hill took the final two points of the set to win.
 
Taylor Braunagel and Lauryn Driscoll were both efficient and prolific, with Braunagel notching 17 kills and hitting .286.  Driscoll wasn't far behind with 16 kills and a .282 hitting percentage.  Leah Vensel dished out 55 assists while Catherine Ferragonio was responsible for a team-high 24 digs.  Mackenzie Biggs also contributed 14 kills.
 
The Golden Eagles closed out the tight second and third sets impressively, holding off the hard-charging Griffins to take a 2-1 lead.  In the second set Driscoll made it 14-10 with a kill and Marissa Robertson upped the lead to 17-12 with a kill of her own.  Robertson struck again to force Seton Hill into a timeout at 21-15, but the Griffins rallied and cut it to 23-20.  A Griffin service error gave Clarion the opening they needed, with Biggs bouncing a kill to take the set at 25-20.
 
Clarion opened the third set on a 9-3 run that was punctuated with a kill by Olivia Olson.  The Griffins cut it to 13-11 but the Golden Eagles rallied and made it 18-12 on another kill by Olson, this time forcing Seton Hill into a timeout.  Braunagel glanced an ace off Mary Baich to make it 22-17, and Vensel scored on a dump to make it 25-21 and give Clarion a 2-1 lead.
 
Seton Hill controlled the fourth set from the get go, winning by a score of 25-14 to force the fifth set.  Clarion took an 8-5 lead on back-to-back kills by Biggs but the Griffins used a 5-0 run to retake the lead.  Braunagel eventually cut Seton Hill's lead to 13-12 with a kill but the Griffins closed it out for the win.