CLARION, Pa. – Playing in front of their home fans for the first time this season, the Clarion volleyball team beat a feisty West Chester squad at Tippin Gym on Friday, claiming a 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23) decision.  The Golden Eagles (11-4, 2-1 PSAC) will host Cheyney tomorrow to close out their weekend.
 
Julia Holden ripped a match-high 23 kills and hit .224 on 67 total swings, controlling the play for the Golden Eagles on the outside and also recording four service aces.  Fellow outside hitter Taylor Braunagel was similarly in control, posting a double-double of 12 kills and 17 digs against the Golden Rams.  Leah Vensel totaled 46 assists in four sets while Lauryn Driscoll tacked on 12 kills of her own.  Defensively, Catherine Ferragonio had 20 digs and Olivia Olson added five blocks.
 
The match was defined by tight sets throughout the night, with none of the four games decided by more than three points.  Timely runs made the difference for both teams as they sought separation at crucial times.  That notion first came into play in the first set after West Chester erased a 23-21 deficit to tie the game at 23-all on a kill by Jillian Grammer.  The Golden Eagles called a timeout and came out of the break swinging, with Holden bashing a pass from Ashley Poling for a kill to force set point.  An over-ball came back to Kaitlyn Glaser on the ensuing point, with Glaser bouncing the return to steal the first set for Clarion.
 
The Golden Rams turned the tables on Clarion in the second set, winning in a similar fashion by scoring two straight after the Golden Eagles tied the set at 23.  The Golden Eagles changed the script by going on a run midway through the third set, taking a 23-16 lead on a kill by Holden.  West Chester fought their way back in, though, and even after Vensel made it 24-19 on a setter tip they continued to battle.  The Golden Rams pulled to within 24-22 on a kill by Grammer, but Holden ripped a kill on set point to give Clarion the 25-22 decision and a 2-1 match lead.
 
Two big runs in the fourth set left the outcome in question until the very end, with West Chester building a 20-18 lead at one point in the game.  Clarion responded with a 5-0 run, with Glaser tying the set at 20 with a kill and Holden punctuating the rally with another bounce kill.  The Golden Rams knotted it up at 23 after a block and a kill, the latter by Karleigh Lutz, but Glaser and Vensel combined to block Lutz on the next play to force match point.  After a long rally, Vensel dished a set over to Holden, who crushed it for the kill and the win.