GREENSBURG, Pa. --- One night after rallying from a 2-0 deficit for a five-set win on the road, the Golden Eagles came up just short in attempting the same feat twice, falling 3-2 (16-25, 14-25, 25-21, 25-21, 11-15) to Seton Hill at the McKenna Center on Saturday. Clarion won the third and fourth sets to force a decisive fifth but were unable to top the Griffins in the final frame.
 
Less than 18 hours prior, the Golden Eagles rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Slippery Rock on the road, and it appeared that Clarion might be able to repeat that trick on Saturday against Seton Hill. The team fell behind 2-0 but put together an impressive third set, taking a sizable lead midway through to extend the match. Cassidy Snider made it 13-9 with a kill, and that point was followed by an ace from Marisa Markou and a kill from Olivia Ishmael that made it 15-9. The Griffins rallied to get as close as 22-21 on a kill by Paige Cole, but Snider followed up with a kill and the duo of Ishmael and Raegan Stader forced set point with a block. Emily Klopp put the set away with a kill, making it 25-21.
 
The fourth set saw the Griffins again rally from a deficit, but once again the Golden Eagles held on for the victory. Ishmael made it 16-10 lead with a kill, but Seton Hill strung together a 10-3 run to take a 20-19 advantage late. Stader halted the momentum with a kill and tied the score, and the duo of Markou and Finley Kearney blocked Payton Rodberg to make it a 22-20 lead. Snider pounded a kill to put her team ahead 23-20 and then teamed with Kearney for a block to force set point, and the senior outside hitter forced the fifth set with another kill at 25-21.
 
That set the stage for another decisive fifth set, but this time Seton Hill got off to a hot start and scored five straight points. Clarion got four of those back on a small run that included an ace by Lauren Fjerstad, and the Golden Eagles went ahead 9-8 on a kill by Snider. That would be their final lead of the match, though, as the Griffins scored five straight points to take a 13-9 lead. Ishmael stopped the bleeding with a kill and Stader added another late, but Seton Hill ultimately took the 15-11 win.
 
Snider recorded a match-high 28 kills, and also logged 14 digs and three blocks for a double-double. Ishmael added five kills and a .400 attack percentage, as well as five total blocks. Haley Fledderjohann had 17 digs.
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