CLARION, Pa. — California (PA) (13-2, 1-0 PSAC) defeated Clarion (7-8, 1-1 PSAC) in straight sets on Friday night at Tippin Gymnasium, posting a 25-11, 25-21, 25-22 victory in the PSAC matchup.
The Vulcans were highly efficient on offense throughout all three sets, hitting .315 for the match and committing a total of just nine errors on 92 attempts. The Golden Eagles, conversely, perked up as the match went on, leveling the playing field to an extent but finding themselves unable to muster enough points for a comeback.
Finley Kearney led Clarion's offense with 11 kills on 21 attempts, recording a .381 attack percentage and contributing two blocks.
Emily Klopp added to the offensive effort by recording seven kills without an error, hitting .438.
Claire Bickett supported the defense with a team-high 11 digs.
The first set went the Vulcans' way from the jump as California opened things up on a 10-3 run, capped with a block by Anna-Marie Petricevic and Lindsey Scammell. The lead soon reached double digits as the Vulcans went ahead 18-8 on a Clarion attack error, and Cal closed things out with a 25-11 set win.
The second set began with the Vulcans taking an early lead, capitalizing on the Golden Eagles' initial errors to go up 4-0. Clarion responded with a series of kills from Kearney and
Claire Bickett, narrowing the gap. Despite Clarion's efforts, including blocks from Kinsman and
Emily Klopp, California maintained their momentum, extending their lead to 19-13.
Clarion showed resilience with kills from
Grayson Kinsman and Bickett, closing the deficit to 24-21. However, the Vulcans sealed the set with a final kill, taking the set 25-21.
The third set began with Klopp and
Julia Shaw providing offensive sparks moments for Clarion, effectively countering the Vulcans' early lead. Despite some early challenges, including a series of attack errors, the Golden Eagles demonstrated resilience and kept the score competitive. After trailing 21-17 Clarion scored four straight points, including kills by Klopp and Shaw, to cut the deficit to 21-20.
Alaina Ceo served up an ace off Olivia Weiseman to cut the deficit to 23-22 but the Vulcans scored the final two points for the match win.
