CLARION, Pa. — Clarion (1-0, 0-0 PSAC) opened its season with a 3-1 (25-19, 25-19, 25-27, 25-19) victory over Shippensburg (0-1, 0-0 PSAC) at Tippin Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Golden Eagles topped the Raiders for the seventh time in their last eight meetings, holding Shippensburg under .100 hitting and out-blocking them 11-5.
Blocks were crucial in the first two sets as the Golden Eagles built their set lead at least partially with strong play at the net.
Finley Kearney had a match-high seven blocks,
Emily Klopp added five and freshman
Cara Vandeborne recorded three. The Raiders were held to a .054 attack percentage in the match.
Vandeborne showed well in her first career match, hitting a team-high 13 kills on 20 attempts with just two errors for a .550 attack percentage. Klopp added 12 kills and senior
Taylor Haupt recorded 10 kills to go with 19 digs for a double-double.
Kalina Powell got the start at libero and was strong, posting a match-high 26 digs.
Clarion opened the first set with a steady performance, overcoming an initial deficit to level the score at 2-2 following an attack error by Shippensburg's Clara Wildermuth, blocked by
Finley Kearney and
Emily Klopp.
Lauren Fjerstad's service ace then propelled the Golden Eagles into the lead. Clarion maintained momentum with significant defensive stops, including blocks from
Natalie Karrick and Vandeborne, helping to extend the lead. Haupt contributed crucial kills, while Karrick's playmaking facilitated Clarion's offense. The set concluded with Clarion capitalizing on Shippensburg's errors and securing a 25-19 victory, marked by a decisive kill from Klopp.
The Golden Eagles opened the second set with a strong offensive push, highlighted by kills from
Claire Bickett and Karrick, quickly establishing a 5-0 lead. Klopp and Kearney contributed to the team's momentum with a key block, extending the advantage. Despite a brief response from Shippensburg, Clarion maintained control with consistent scoring from Vandeborne and Haupt. Midway through the set, Clarion continued to hold the upper hand as Vandeborne and Bickett delivered kills, pushing the score to 16-14. Shippensburg managed a few points to narrow the gap, but Clarion's offensive execution, including service aces by Karrick, proved decisive. The set concluded with a final kill by Kearney, securing a 25-19 victory for Clarion.
Clarion opened the third set with a strong defensive effort, highlighted by a block from Klopp and Bickett, which set the tone early. This was followed by a successful kill from Klopp, initiated by Karrick, giving the Golden Eagles a brief lead. The home team leveraged Shippensburg's errors, including multiple bad sets, to extend their advantage to 18-13. As the set progressed, Clarion maintained its lead with impactful plays such as Vandeborne's kill and a service ace from Haupt. Despite a late surge from Shippensburg, who tied the set at 21-21, Clarion regained momentum with kills from Kearney and Klopp. However, Shippensburg capitalized on a service ace and subsequent errors to edge ahead. The set concluded with a narrow win for Shippensburg, 27-25, as Clarion was unable to reclaim the lead in the final exchanges, despite their resilient efforts throughout.
The Golden Eagles broke open the fourth set with a strong start, immediately taking control as Karrick delivered a service ace and a series of points, including a kill by Bickett, to build a 3-0 lead. Kearney and Bickett effectively contributed defensively with a block, while Fjerstad added a service ace to extend the advantage. Vandeborne and Klopp maintained the momentum with key kills, as Clarion capitalized on Shippensburg's errors to widen the margin. Despite some resistance from Shippensburg, Clarion continued to execute efficiently with contributions from Kearney and
Raegan Stader, keeping the lead secure. As the set closed, Clarion's consistent offensive pressure was reinforced by Fjerstad's second service ace and a decisive kill by Klopp, sealing the set at 25-19 and securing the match victory.
