CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagles continued action at the 2025 Tony Banner Memorial Tournament on Friday, splitting a pair of matches in the first full day of competition in Tippin Gym. Clarion beat Goldey-Beacom 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-23) in their first match of the day, but came up just short in a five-set comeback attempt against American International, falling 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 11-15).
 
Action at the tournament will conclude on Saturday, with Clarion's lone remaining match coming against Roberts Wesleyan in the finale.
 
Clarion 3, Goldey-Beacom 0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-23)
 
RECAP: The first set was marked by a series of critical plays from Clarion, culminating in a narrow 27-25 victory. Early in the set, Lauren Fjerstad and Kylie Barto connected for Clarion's first point, with the former scoring on a back row attack. Raegan Stader contributed a key kill at 20-20, breaking the tie after the Lightning went on a small run. In the closing moments, Clarion capitalized on the Lightning's errors, with Emily Klopp and Grayson Kinsman securing the final point with a block, sealing the first set win.
 
The second set began with momentum from Clarion as Stader delivered consecutive kills to open the game. The Golden Eagles maintained steady pressure as Taylor Haupt and Finley Kearney both added crucial kills, and a decisive service ace by Natalie Karrick made it 18-13. A block by Karrick and Kearney forced set point, with Clarion ultimately prevailing 25-19 after Stader's final kill off a pass from Barto.
 
Clarion began the third set with a commanding start, as Fjerstad and Haupt logged kills on back to back points to make it 10-2. The lead eventually reached 19-11 but the Lightning battled back, scoring 11 out of 13 points at one juncture to tie the set at 23. Despite this, Clarion capitalized on back-to-back attack errors by Baylee Brin to ultimately clinch the set 25-23.
 
Kinsman led the defensive effort with five total blocks, contributing significantly at the net. Haley Fledderjohann was a standout in the back row, accumulating 17 digs over the match. Haupt contributed both offensively and defensively, recording 10 kills and 16 digs for a double-double, while Stader added a team-high 11 kills. Barto facilitated the team's attack with 21 assists
 
American International 3, Clarion 2 (21-25, 25-20, 17-25, 25-23, 11-15)
 
RECAP: The first set began with Clarion taking an early lead, highlighted by key plays from Fjerstad and Haupt to open the scoring. Clarion maintained momentum as Natalie Karrick and Emily Klopp added to the score, pushing the home team's advantage to 4-1. However, the Yellow Jackets responded with a series of strong plays, including a service ace by Janelys Perez Cortes, to overcome the deficit and tie the set at 7-7. Despite a resilient effort from Clarion, with Kinsman and Stader contributing crucial points, the Yellow Jackets pulled ahead with a decisive run late in the set, turning back the Golden Eagles after making it 21-19.
 
The second set began with Clarion overcoming an early deficit to establish a lead through a string of impressive plays. Fjerstad's consecutive service aces set the tone, helping Clarion move ahead 4-2. The key sequence came with the set tied at 13 as the Golden Eagles scored eight of the next 10 points to build a commanding lead, including a block by Kinsman and Klopp to make it 21-15. Barto dealt a service ace to force set point and Karrick finished it with a kill to even the match.
 
The third set began with Clarion taking an early lead as Karrick and Shaw each recorded kills. Despite this early advantage, the Yellow Jackets responded with a sizable run to gain a 15-9 lead. Kearney and Stader managed to break the momentum with timely kills, but American International maintained control and closed the set with a decisive 25-17 victory.
 
In a tightly contested fourth set, Clarion's Kearney and Karlee Berchtold initiated a strong offensive push, securing a 4-1 lead early on with back-to-back points. However, the Yellow Jackets capitalized on errors to tie the game at 4-4, then surged ahead 11-5 with a service ace from Paola Soto-Burgos. Clarion, undeterred, mounted a comeback with a pivotal block by Kearney and Shaw leveling the score at 16-16. The set remained tense as Clarion pulled off three straight points to earn the win, with Klopp and Kinsman recording blocks on back-to-back points in the run.
 
The fifth set began with a back-and-forth exchange of points, highlighted by Stader's early contributions with two kills, both assisted by Marisa Markou. Despite Clarion's efforts to maintain momentum, the Yellow Jackets responded with a series of critical plays, including a service ace by Perez Cortes, pushing the visitors ahead. Ultimately, Clarion's late surge was not enough to overcome the consistent scoring from the Yellow Jackets, concluding the set with a 15-11 score in favor of the visitors.
 
Stader led Clarion with 13 kills on 30 attempts for a .433 hitting percentage. Barto contributed significantly to the offense by recording 24 assists across five sets. Haley Fledderjohann was active on defense, collecting 17 digs, while Fjerstad notched four service aces and added 18 digs to her defensive efforts. Kinsman was a dominant presence at the net, finishing with seven total blocks.
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