CLARION, Pa. — Clarion (11-14, 5-6 PSAC) swept IUP (16-7, 8-5 PSAC) for a crucial PSAC West victory on Friday night, with the Golden Eagles beating the Crimson Hawks in straight sets with a score of 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-9). Clarion's defense was formidable, recording 10 total blocks to secure the decisive victory.
With the Golden Eagles fighting for their playoff lives, Clarion put together an inspired effort on their home floor, rallying from deficits in both the first and second sets. The Golden Eagles trailed by scores of 13-6 and 21-16 in the first set before coming back to take a 25-23 decision, and the Crimson Hawks opened up a 7-1 lead in the second set before Clarion turned the tables. The third set was the outlier as Clarion exploded for an enormous early lead and coasted to the victory.
Thanks to the three-set victory, Clarion not only kept pace with Pitt-Johnstown and California (PA) in the PSAC West race - both teams won on Friday night - but also picked up a tiebreaker with IUP by virtue of sets won, 4-3. The Golden Eagles will face off with Pitt-Johnstown tomorrow and look to sweep the season series with the Mountain Cats.
IUP was clicking on offense to start the first set, with only a spate of service errors spoiling their start to the match. The Crimson Hawks led 13-6 before a 5-0 run by the Golden Eagles pulled the home team closer, with
Lauren Fjerstad dealing an ace to make it 13-10.
As the set progressed, Clarion showcased resilience, particularly as
Raegan Stader delivered decisive kills in the late stages. A crucial sequence saw the Golden Eagles overcome a 21-16 deficit, tying the score at 22 on a block by Stader and
Finley Kearney before pushing ahead on a kill by Stader. Stader's consistent attacks, supported by assists from
Marisa Markou, sealed the set with a 25-23 victory for Clarion.
In the second set, the Golden Eagles again faced an early deficit as the Crimson Hawks surged to a 7-1 lead, led by multiple kills from Kyra Schmidt. Clarion responded with a series of defensive plays, including blocks from
Emily Klopp and
Addy Turek, sparking a comeback that tied the score at 9. Clarion then capitalized on the Crimson Hawks' errors and strong serves from
Natalie Karrick to push ahead.
As the set progressed, Clarion extended its lead through effective attacks by
Karlee Berchtold and
Emily Klopp. Despite a late rally from IUP, Clarion maintained control, closing the set with a kill by
Claire Bickett to secure a 25-20 victory.
Clarion asserted control early in the third set with a series of scoring plays, propelled by
Lauren Fjerstad's work at the service line. Key defensive plays, including blocks by Kearney and Karrick, contributed to a swift 7-0 advantage. Fjerstad added a service ace to extend the lead, and before long the Golden Eagles led by a dozen points at 14-2.
The Golden Eagles maintained momentum with Karrick and Bickett adding kills, while IUP struggled with errors. Despite a few successful points from the Crimson Hawks, Clarion continued to capitalize on their opponent's errors, with Stader and Turek contributing to the score. Clarion closed the set with a service ace from Karrick, securing a 25-9 win and demonstrating consistent offensive and defensive execution.
Haley Fledderjohann contributed defensively with nine digs and added one ace but her presence was felt throughout the match with a host of inspired defensive plays. Berchtold posted four kills and two block assists, while Stader recorded six kills on 15 attempts, achieving a hitting percentage of .333. Turek was efficient with five kills on nine attempts and also assisted in three blocks.
