BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Bloomsburg University volleyball team dropped a tough 3-1 match to West Chester University, Saturday afternoon. The Huskies won the first set, 26-24, but the Golden Rams came back to win the final three, 25-21, 25-18, 25-11. With the loss, the Huskies drop to 7-8 for the year and 2-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East action while the Golden Rams improved to 10-3 for the season and 3-1 in the PSAC.
 
As a team, the Huskies had 38 kills, five service aces, and 66 digs. Senior Mary Kate Mooney (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) led the offense with nine kills and posted eight digs while Senior Bryn Stek (Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin) handed out 16 assists and had three aces for the Huskies while graduate student Alyssa Cianciulli (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) posted 29 digs, three assists, and a service ace. Sophomore Aydan Espinal (Rock Hill, S.C./Rock Hill) handed out 14 assists and had six digs for the game.
 
The Huskies had another impressive match at the net as they posted 13.5 total blocks as a team. Senior Sydney Buell (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) led the way with two solo blocks and four block assists while classmate Grace Giza (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) posted one solo block and five assists. Senior Mia Nicholes (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin) finished the day with two solo blocks and three assists while sophomore Liz Bopp (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) had four block assists for the Huskies.
 
In the first set, the two teams went back and forth for the first several points. Trailing 5-4, the Golden Rams went on a 4-0 run to take an 8-5 lead. West Chester maintained a steady lead until the Huskies tied the set at 22-22. The Golden Rams scored two-straight points with kills from Julia Vreeswykm to earn their first set point, but a kill from redshirt junior Shayna Warfel (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) cut the lead to 24-23 and a Stek service ace tied the set at 24-24. The Huskies benefited from a WCU ball handling error and Nicholes closed out the set with a kill to win 26-24.
 
The Huskies tried to carry the momentum into the second set, but after Bloomsburg pulled to within one, 16-15, the Golden Rams pulled way and built a 19-15 lead. The Huskies cut the lead back to 22-19 thanks to a block by Bopp and Giza, but the Golden Rams held on for a 25-21 win.
 
Bloomsburg jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third set, but the West Chester came back and took a 10-7 lead. Bloomsburg got a pair of points back to cut the lead to 10-9 before West Chester went on an eight-point run to take an 18-9 lead. The Huskies cut into the lead to come within five, 18-13, but WCU kept pushing and eventually took a 24-13 lead. A service error gave the ball back to Bloomsburg and Cianciulli led the Huskies on a five-point run but a kill from Vreeswyk closed out the set as the Golden Rams took a 2-1 match lead.
 
West Chester took control of the final set early. After the Huskies tied it at 5-5, West Chester used a pair of 3-0 runs to take a 13-7 lead. Bloomsburg cut the lead back to 13-9, but West Chester used a 9-1 run to take a 22-10 lead. Bloomsburg got one point back thanks to a service error, but West Chester closed out the set and match with a 3-0 run to win the set 25-11 and the match 3-1.
 
The Huskies get back to action next Friday, October 8 as they travel to East Stroudsburg for a 7:00 pm PSAC East match. The Huskies head to Kutztown on Saturday, October 9 for a 2:00 pm PSAC match.