CLARION, Pa. – The Golden Eagle volleyball team dug deep over the final two sets to pull out a home win on Tuesday evening, defeating a determined Seton Hill squad 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-20, 25-20) in Tippin Gymnasium.
The Griffins were effective in limiting the efficiency of the Golden Eagle offense, as Clarion hit just .238 in the match, and Seton Hill was also able to manage the serve-receive game effectively. The Golden Eagles were able to adjust to the Griffins' defensive posture, feeding the ball to the middle and right side to score the win.
Amy Regrut,
Lauren Aichinger and
Alyson Peters all broke double-digits in kills, with Peters hitting .600.
Cassidy Snider had a match-high 16 kills to go with 10 digs for a kill-dig double-double, while
Abigail Selfridge turned out a match-high 17 digs.
London Fuller had 51 assists, nine digs and two kills.
The teams split the first two sets, a harbinger of the evenly-matched bout that would await them for most of the night. Clarion opened up a 21-15 lead on the Griffins in the first set before Seton Hill scored four straight points to pull within a pair, with Abby Oesterling holding the serve and bringing her team closer. Snider bashed two kills to increase the lead to 23-19, and Peters forced set point on a kill at 24-20 before Snider finished it off on the ensuing point. The Griffins opened up a 14-9 lead in the second set before Clarion pulled even at 16 on a kill by Piccolino, but Seton Hill re-established a larger lead with a 3-0 run of their own. Snider tied the set at 22 on a kill and the Golden Eagles briefly held a 23-22 lead, but the Griffins rattled off three straight to tie the match at one set apiece.
Even when the Golden Eagles went on big runs – as they did with a 7-1 rally to open the third set – they were unable to keep the large deficit over the Griffins for long. Seton Hill pulled to within 9-8 before Clarion unleashed a 6-0 run that featured two kills and a block by Aichinger, as well as an ace by Piccolino. The Griffins cut Clarion's lead and tied it at 20-20 on a kill by Paige Cole, but Aichinger stopped the bleeding with a kill to break the tie. She and Snider combined to block Katie Koziarz on the next point, giving the Golden Eagles life and eventually leading them to a 25-20 set win.
Similarly, it seemed Clarion could not quite put away Seton Hill for most of the fourth set, with the Griffins cutting the lead to 21-20. Once again, though, the Golden Eagles went on a late run to seal the deal, this time with Peters sparking the charge on a kill. Piccolino and Regrut added kills on back-to-back points to make it 24-20, and Piccolino delivered the match winner at 25-20.
