CLARION, Pa. — Shippensburg (1-0, 0-0 PSAC) edged out Clarion (0-1, 0-0 PSAC) in a five-set thriller at Tippin Gymnasium on Thursday night, clinching a 3-2 match with set scores of 25-23, 19-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-12.
The first set kicked off with a strong showing from the Golden Eagles, highlighted by
Finley Kearney's early kill. Clarion maintained a slight edge, pushing the score to 4-1 thanks to a series of successful plays, including a kill from
Lauren Fjerstad. As the intensity increased,
Taylor Haupt delivered crucial points with multiple kills, but the Raiders capitalized on errors to pull ahead. Clarion took an 18-17 lead after a combo block by Kearney and Bickett, but the Raiders scored foru straight to take a 21-18 lead. Despite
Claire Bickett's late efforts to close the gap, the Raiders edged out a narrow 25-23 win, concluding the set with a decisive kill by Gracen Nutt.
The second set began with the Golden Eagles quickly capitalizing on errors by the Raiders to take an early lead, with
Kylie Barto involved in forcing two attack errors. Clarion then found momentum midway through the set, highlighted by a service ace from Fjerstad and a series of decisive plays from
Natalie Karrick, who delivered two service aces and assisted on multiple kills, helping extend Clarion's lead to 13-6.
Raegan Stader and
Julia Rodriguez also contributed key kills, as Clarion maintained their advantage and secured the set 25-19.
The third set began with the Raiders taking an early 3-0 lead, but Clarion quickly responded with a strong performance from Karrick, who contributed multiple key kills to level the score. A pivotal moment occurred when Stader facilitated a four-point streak, pushing Clarion ahead to 13-9. Kearney's decisive kills in the latter part of the set helped maintain Clarion's advantage, culminating in a 25-20 victory to clinch the set.
The fourth set began with Clarion taking an early lead, fueled by defensive strength as Karrick and Kearney combined for multiple blocks, resulting in a 3-0 start. Despite a mid-set surge by the Raiders, which saw them level the score at 16-16 behind Jaiden Anderson's consistent setting, Clarion's Stader and
Emily Klopp contributed key kills to keep the match competitive. However, the Raiders capitalized on a series of errors and a late service ace by Shay Kolivoski to close out the set 25-19, extending the match.
The fifth set began with Clarion taking an early lead as
Karlee Berchtold and Stader scored successive kills, assisted by Barto. Despite the strong start, the Raiders quickly regained momentum, capitalizing on a 5-1 run to edge ahead 11-6. Clarion attempted to close the gap with Haupt and Stader contributing crucial kills, but the Raiders maintained their advantage, ultimately sealing the set with a 15-12 victory.
Kearney posted 10 kills and a team-leading eight total blocks. Barto contributed 31 assists over the same span. Fjerstad was a key presence in the back row, collecting 22 digs, while Karrick added four aces and 10 digs. Fledderjohann logged a match-high 33 digs.
