CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles volleyball team got off to an early lead but was unable to maintain their momentum at home, with Clarion falling by a 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 22-25) score to Walsh at Tippin Gym. The Cavaliers bounced back from a one-set deficit and rallied from a significant hole in the third set to take the non-conference victory.
 
Clarion was led by Cassidy Snider, who had 19 kills and 13 digs for a double-double. She was the only Golden Eagle to reach double-digit kills. Olivia Ishmael had seven kills and no errors for a .538 hitting percentage, and Claire Bickett added 10 kills and five digs.
 
The first set exemplified the direction the rest of the match would go, with the teams playing back-and-forth before a big run set one over the other. Bitsy Bauer logged a kill late in the set to put the Cavaliers ahead 19-17, and Sammie DiBease logged a kill of her own a few points later to give Walsh a 22-19 advantage. An error by Hannah Shaw on the next point gave the Golden Eagles the opening they needed, with Lauren Fjerstad following it up with a kill. Another error tied the set at 22, and Gabrielle Grdina put the Golden Eagles ahead with a kill. Snider forced set point with a kill and an error by DiBease completed the comeback, giving the Golden Eagles a 25-22 set win.
 
The Golden Eagles tried a similar trick in the second set, but this time the Cavaliers were able to quash the rally. Walsh led 22-17 but Clarion scored four of the next five points, pulling to within 23-21 after a kill by Emily Klopp, an ace by Marisa Markou and a kill by Claire Bickett. Markou committed a service error that halted the rally, and despite a kill by Bickett to make it 24-22, the Cavaliers held on for the win.
 
The third set looked like the best opportunity for the Golden Eagles to build a 2-1 lead, but this time it was a Walsh rally that made the difference. Clarion scored the first seven points of the third set, including multiple blocks by the duo of Grdina and Ishmael, and Kylie Barto served up an ace to make it a 10-3 lead. Five straight points by the Cavaliers cut the deficit to two points, and eventually Walsh took the lead with a 6-0 run that made it 22-20. The Golden Eagles put together a rally for themselves, with Klopp tying the set at 24 with a kill, but Bauer broke the tie with a kill and Jayme Zoeckler served up an ace for the set win. Walsh took a late lead in the fourth set as well, fighting off a 3-0 run by the Golden Eagles to win 25-22.
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