WHEELING, W.Va. – Julia Holden set a career-high with 31 kills in a match against Fairmont State, and the Clarion volleyball team earned a split on the first day of the Atlantic Region Crossover hosted by Wheeling Jesuit and West Liberty.  The Golden Eagles fell to 22^nd-ranked Wheeling Jesuit 3-0 (14-25, 21-25, 22-25) in the first match, but defeated the Falcons 3-1 (25-27, 27-25, 25-19, 29-27) in the second half of the back-to-back.
 
Holden pounded out 31 kills against the Falcons, setting a new career high and tying for the sixth-most kills in a single match in program history.  Her total was the most for any Golden Eagle since Melanie Bull notched 33 kills against IUP on Oct. 22, 2002.
 
Every one of those kills was needed to defeat the Falcons, as three of the four sets required more than 25 points for the victor.  Clarion (6-3) took the decisive fourth set by a 29-27 score, with Holden and Aubrey Wrona delivering the final two kills of the set to post the win.  Wrona and Alexa Cundy each posted double-doubles, with Wrona going off for 16 kills and 13 digs and Cundy posting 54 assists and 17 digs.  Chrissy Cotton had a match-high 23 digs.
 
Fairmont State led 17-13 in the second set, but Clarion started to rally back midway through the game.  Holden eventually tied the set at 24 with a kill and then paired off with Wrona to record the kills that put the Golden Eagles over the top to tie the match at 1-1.  The third set was much more firmly in Clarion's favor, as the Golden Eagles held a 22-19 lead and rattled off three straight points, including a block by Alyson Peters and Aleah Karam to force set point.  In the fourth set the Falcons held set point at 27-26, but kills by Holden and Wrona sandwiched a Fairmont State attack error to give Clarion the match win.
 
The Golden Eagles' win was a rebound from their earlier loss to the Cardinals, who dominated the first set 25-14.  Clarion responded with much better play in the second and third sets, keeping things more competitive with Wheeling Jesuit.  They tied the score at 19 at one point in the second set, with Lauren Aichinger blocking Breanna Kramer, but the Cardinals retook the advantage with five straight points to take the set.  The third set was tied at 22 after a kill by Wrona, but the Cardinals scored three straight to take the match.