WHEELING, W.Va. – The Clarion volleyball team earned a split on the first day of the Atlantic Region Crossover, falling 3-0 (12-25, 24-26, 18-25) to 14th-ranked Wheeling Jesuit before rebounding for a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-23) victory over Fairmont State in the evening.  The Golden Eagles (7-3) will continue action with matches against West Liberty and Charleston tomorrow.
 
Julia Holden led the Golden Eagles in kills in both matches, adding 10 against the Cardinals and 12 against the Falcons.  Chrissy Cotton – who entered the weekend ranked fifth nationally in digs per set – averaged 6.00 digs per set over the two matches, totaling 21 against Wheeling Jesuit and 15 against Fairmont State.  Olivia Olson added eight blocks in two matches.
 
The nationally-ranked Cardinals controlled much of the early match, but the Golden Eagles put a scare into them with a close second set.  Clarion trailed 14-12 before eventually tying it up at 14 thanks to a kill by Marissa Robertson.  Aubrey Wrona aced Makenna Babb to put her team ahead 17-16, and Holden bashed a kill a few points later to make it 20-17.  Olson and Robertson blocked Haley Kramer to put Clarion up 23-19, but the Cardinals scored five straight points down the stretch to elude set point and take the win. 
 
Wheeling Jesuit came back from an early deficit in the third set to take the lead at 12-11, and held on for the rest of the way.  Cassie Meyer recorded a kill to take the set 25-18 and the match 3-0.
 
Clarion held Fairmont State to just an .064 attack percentage in the second match, but still needed to gut out a pair of close sets en route to the win.  The Golden Eagles opened the first set on a 9-2 run and led the entire way from there, but the Falcons rallied and managed to pull within a point late.  Clarion led 23-17 but Fairmont State cut the lead to 23-22.  Leah Vensel tipped a kill on the next point to force set point, and then teamed with Olson for a block to clinch the opener.
 
The second set was much more one-sided, with the Golden Eagles leading 21-10 at one point.  Lauryn Driscoll bounced a kill to force set point at 24-14 and then delivered the winner a few points later, making it 25-17.  Clarion started the third set with yet another big run, going ahead 11-2  after a Fairmont State error, and upped the lead to 10 points on a kill by Wrona.  The Falcons eventually tied the score at 22, but Holden and Olson responded with kills to break the tie, and The Golden Eagles won on a service error by Emily Cordle.