WHEELING, W.Va. – The Golden Eagles volleyball team capped a challenging weekend at the Atlantic Region Crossover on Saturday, falling to Fairmont State in four sets before rallying to defeat Wheeling in five at the Alma Grace McDonogh Center.
Fairmont State 3, Clarion 1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19)
RECAP: FSU capitalized on a .154 hitting percentage, including a .208 mark in the fourth set, to secure the victory.
Grayson Kinsman posted nine total blocks, contributing significantly to the team's defense, while
Haley Fledderjohann recorded 32 digs.
Claire Bickett led the Golden Eagles with 15 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double.
Karlee Berchtold added eight kills and five total blocks.
The first set opened with the Falcons taking an early lead through three consecutive service aces by Kelsie Dangerfield, giving them a 3-0 lead.. Clarion responded with a kill from
Taylor Haupt, assisted by
Marisa Markou, to get on the scoreboard. Despite efforts from Clarion, including a service ace by
Haley Fledderjohann and blocks by
Grayson Kinsman and
Emily Klopp, the Falcons maintained their momentum, ultimately closing the set with a 25-15 victory.
Clarion seized momentum in the second set, tying the match with a 25-23 win. Early in the set, Haupt and
Finley Kearney each logged kills to help Clarion keep pace with the Falcons. As the set wore on,
Raegan Stader and Bickett contributed to a pivotal run that saw Clarion overcome a deficit to tie the score at 22-22. The Golden Eagles capitalized on a series of Fairmont errors and a decisive block by Markou and Kinsman to clinch the set.
The third set opened with Clarion establishing an early lead, fueled by consecutive kills from Berchtold and Bickett, putting them up 4-0. A mid-set surge eventually saw the Falcons take a 14-13 lead, and a 4-0 run by Fairmont State at the end of the set clinched a 25-23 set win. The Falcons took the fourth set 25-19 for the victory.
Clarion 3, Wheeling 2 (23-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-13, 16-14).
RECAP: The Golden Eagles have been no stranger to five-set matches this year, with six of their previous 10 matches this year going the full distance. The 11th match of the year marked the seventh such occasion as the Golden Eagles rallied to force a fifth set, and then held off a furious Wheeling rally to clinch the win.
Trailing 2-1 in the match, Clarion opened the fourth set with a hot start, quickly establishing a 5-1 lead with kills from Bickett and Kearney. Despite a brief rally from the Cardinals to level the score at 5-5, the Golden Eagles responded decisively with a series of points, including two service aces and a kill from
Julia Rodriguez to extend the lead to 14-8. Clarion maintained control, with Bickett's final kill sealing a 25-13 victory, capping off a strong set.
The fifth set began with Clarion gaining an early lead, as
Raegan Stader secured the first point with a kill assisted by
Natalie Karrick. Rodriguez followed up with a kill, putting Clarion up 2-0. Midway through the set, a sequence of plays saw
Karlee Berchtold contribute with two kills, extending Clarion's advantage to 9-6. Clarion eventually built a 14-11 lead but the Cardinals rallied with three straight points, tying the set at 14. Stader and Bickett put the match away with back-to-back kills.
The Golden Eagles opened the first set with a promising start, securing an early lead at 2-0 with a service ace from
Claire Bickett. Despite a mid-set push by the Cardinals, Clarion managed to regain momentum with a series of plays that included a service ace by
Marisa Markou and a crucial kill by Bickett, leveling the score to 10-10. In a dramatic conclusion to the set, the teams traded points, but Wheeling ultimately edged out Clarion 25-23 following a final attack error.
The second set began with Clarion overcoming an early service error as Berchtold and Raegan delivered kills, quickly settling the score at 2-1. Clarion then traded points with Wheeling, achieving a tied score at 6-6 before
Natalie Karrick and
Claire Bickett's kills helped establish a narrow lead. A strong sequence followed, with Clarion capitalizing on attack errors by the Cardinals to expand their advantage to 16-12. The set concluded with
Claire Bickett securing the final point from a
Marisa Markou assist, sealing a 25-16 victory for Clarion in the second set.
The third set began with a competitive exchange, but Clarion's
Claire Bickett quickly put the visitors on the board with a kill from
Marisa Markou at 0-0. Despite an early lead for Wheeling, Clarion responded with a 4-0 run, highlighted by
Haley Fledderjohann's service ace and a block from
Julia Rodriguez and
Raegan Stader at 5-7.
Natalie Karrick kept Clarion within reach, delivering two kills with assists from
Kylie Barto, bringing the score to 10-13. Ultimately, despite a late push from Stader and Karrick, the Cardinals secured the set 25-18, taking advantage of a few attack errors by Clarion to close out the set.
Claire Bickett led the Clarion team with 21 kills. Fledderjohann contributed defensively with 23 digs while also adding seven assists and three service aces.
Karlee Berchtold posted eight kills and a block assist.
Natalie Karrick recorded 12 kills with a .364 hitting percentage and added two block assists for the team.
