CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle volleyball team started out hot but could not keep up the momentum, as Clarion fell by a 3-2 (25-18, 29-27, 22-25, 21-25, 6-15) score to IUP on Tuesday evening. Clarion took the first two sets against the Crimson Hawks but could not crack IUP's defense at the net in the final three frames.
 
Cassidy Snider finished with a match-high 21 kills, but Savannah Taosoga was the only other Golden Eagle to crack double-digits, finishing with 10 kills. IUP's biggest advantage came at the net, where they recorded 17 total team blocks compared to just four for Clarion. Abigail Selfridge finished with a match-high 24 digs, as well as four service aces.
 
The Golden Eagles opened the match on a 7-2 run, punctuated by a block from Finley Kearney and Taosoga against Delaney Concannon. Clarion later added a 5-0 run to increase their lead to 13-5, including two of Selfridge's four service aces for the match. A trio of IUP errors put the Golden Eagles ahead 16-7, but a 6-0 run by the Crimson Hawks slashed that deficit to just three points. The outcome of the first set remained in question after Lauren Valentic popped a kill to make it 21-18, but Clarion responded with four straight points – including another ace by Selfridge on set point – to take the opening stanza 25-18.
 
The second set was back and forth from beginning to end, though Clarion had the first crack at set point after a kill by Savannah Taosoga made it 24-23. IUP posted two straight points to take the initiative but Taosoga was there again to stave off the end of the set. It took a pair of IUP errors at the end of the set – a service error by Kat Warpinski and an errant attack by Nyla Birch – to give Clarion the 29-27 set win.
 
The Golden Eagles had the opportunity to put the match away with a sweep, leading 22-20 in the third set after a kill by Finley Kearney. IUP went on a 5-0 tear to extend the match, with Simay Memisoglu putting away a kill on set point at 25-22. The Crimson Hawks came back from an 18-17 deficit in the fourth set , building a 21-19 advantage that was briefly erased by an error from Grace Mangapora and a kill by Snider. IUP regained their footing, scoring four straight to finish off the set. That momentum carried into the fifth set as the Crimson Hawks went on an 11-0 run to build a 14-3 advantage, taking the win at 15-6.
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