CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion volleyball team continued action on the second and final day of the Tony Banner Memorial Tournament, battling but ultimately dropping a pair of 3-0 decisions to Cedarville and Hillsdale.  Julia Holden was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 2.86 kills per set and hitting .267 on the weekend.
 
The Golden Eagles (2-2) will be back in action next weekend at a tournament hosted by Findlay.
 
Clarion opened the morning with Cedarville and somewhat struggled to find offensive consistency as the Yellow Jackets won a tight, defensive battle.  Taylor Braunagel led the Golden Eagles with eight kills while Holden and Mackenzie Biggs each totaled seven kills.  Three players finished in double figures in digs, including Catherine Ferragonio, who had a match-high 14 digs.
 
The first set was a back-and-forth battle that saw Clarion at one point hold an 11-8 lead on a kill by Marissa Robertson.  The Yellow Jackets responded with a 10-2 run and took an 18-13 lead on a kill by Kristin Cardwell.  Cedarville led 23-16 but the Clarion front line responded in a big way, with Biggs notching a kill and teaming with Olivia Olson on a block to make it 23-20.  Robertson made it 23-21 with a kill but couldn't carry the team further as the Yellow Jackets took the set 25-22. 
 
Cedarville thoroughly controlled the second set but had trouble putting the Golden Eagles away in the third.  Clarion led 18-14 on the strength of a block from Robertson and Lauryn Driscoll, but the Yellow Jackets outscored them 8-1 to pull ahead.  Driscoll and Leah Vensel tied the set at 23 but Cedarville scored the final two points, winning on an ace by Angela Becker.
 
The script was much the same in the match against Hillsdale; while the Chargers won in straight sets, they were never able to completely shake the Golden Eagles.  Holden added 10 kills and a .316 hitting percentage while Ferragonio again had the match-high with 14 digs. 
 
The Chargers led for the entirety of the first set but never gained much separation, with the Golden Eagles trailing just 22-21 after a service error by Jackie Langer.  Hillsdale scored three of the next four points to take the 25-22 set win.  The second set was even more nip-and-tuck, with Clarion battling back from an 18-12 deficit to tie the score at 19-all.  Driscoll and Holden put the team ahead 23-21 with a block, and Holden forced set point with a kill at 24-22, but the Chargers scored three straight to retake the advantage and ultimately took the set on a kill by Kyra Rodi.
 
In the third set, Clarion again held a modest lead early on, taking a 13-11 advantage on a kill by Biggs.  Hillsdale responded with an 11-3 run to take the lead and took the set at 25-21.