WHEELING, W.Va. – The Clarion volleyball team faced a pair of tough tests on the road on Saturday, falling by 3-0 scores to Fairmont State and defending national champion Wheeling Jesuit at the WLU/WJU Invitational.  The tournament was jointly hosted by Wheeling Jesuit and West Liberty.  Clarion (5-6) will open PSAC play next weekend at home.
 
Taylor Braunagel led the team with 17 kills over the two matches, while Marissa Robertson led the team with 4.67 digs per set.  Olivia Olson totaled a team-best seven blocks in six sets for a 1.67 blocks per set average.
 
The Golden Eagles fell in the first match by scores of 25-17, 25-15, 25-19 and struggled to get the offense going against Fairmont State.  Braunagel led the way offensively with nine kills while Robertson had a team-high 14 digs. 
 
Clarion led early in the first set, taking a 6-3 lead on a kill by Robertson, but Fairmont State pulled ahead 9-8 on a kill by Breanna Blot.  The Golden Eagles pulled to within 12-11 after consecutive attack errors by Fairmont State, but the Eagles picked up the pace and downed Clarion 25-17.  Fairmont State led nearly the entire way in the second set, taking 12-6 lead and building it all the way to 23-13.  Braunagel recorded an ace to stave off set point, but Fairmont State scored the final two to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The third set was fairly even, with Clarion taking an 18-17 lead on a kill by Olson and tying it again at 19-19, but Fairmont State scored six straight points to take the set and the match.
 
Mackenzie Biggs had a strong offensive match against the Cardinals in the nightcap, adding seven kills, but Wheeling Jesuit claimed a 25-13, 25-15, 25-20 decision.  Robertson recorded 14 digs while Catherine Ferragonio notched 10, and Olson had five blocks.
 
Wheeling Jesuit took an early lead in the first set, opening on a 7-3 run, but the Golden Eagles rallied back; Kaley Pittsley pulled Clarion to within 7-5 on a service ace.  They'd get no closer, though, as Wheeling Jesuit opened up a 19-7 advantage and eventually won 25-13.  The second set played out much the same way, though Olson got it close late with a kill at 12-10, but an 11-1 run quelled any hopes of a Clarion rally as the Cardinals went up 2-0.
 
Clarion pulled close very late in the third set, making it 21-20 on a solo block by Olson on Andrea Thobe.  Wheeling Jesuit pulled away from there, though, with Thobe and Haley Kindall blocking Braunagel to seal the win.