SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. – The Bloomsburg University volleyball team had an upset on the mind but the Huskies were narrowly edged out by Shepherd University, Saturday afternoon. The Rams held on to win in five sets to improve to 21-3 for the year and 10-2 in conference action. The Huskies dropped to 11-15 for the season and 5-7 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East action.
 
After Shepherd took the first set, 25-22, the Huskies rallied to capture a 25-20 second set victory. Bloomsburg took the match lead with a 25-17 win in the third set before the Rams tied it at 2-2 with a 25-20 set four win. The two teams went back and forth all through the final set but Shepherd edged out the 15-13 victory to claim the match win.
 
For the match, senior Mary Kate Mooney (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) led the team with a season-high 17 kills while classmates Sydney Buell (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) and Grace Giza (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) each posted 11. Sophomore Liz Bopp (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) and Giza finished the day with seven blocks each while senior Bryn Stek (Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin) dished out 25 assists. Sophomore Aydan Espinal (Rock Hill, S.C./Rock Hill) added 17 helpers as well.
 
Graduate student Alyssa Cianciulli (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) finished the day with 29 digs while Mooney completed the kills/digs double-double with 20 digs in the five sets. Epsianl had a double-double of her own as she posted 15 digs to add to her 17 assists. Buell posted 11 digs and Stek added 12 as each of them picked up a double-double with their dig totals.
 
The Huskies held one of the top hitting teams in the conference to their lowest hitting percentage in a match this season. The Rams are ranked sixth in the PSAC with a .185 season hitting percentage and hit just .071 in the five sets on Saturday. Their previous low was .094 in a four-set loss to Tusculum back on September 3. Bloomsburg has a claim to the two highest block totals for an opponent against the Rams this season with 12.0 (3 solo, 18 block assists) on Saturday and 13.0 (2 solo, 22 block assists) earlier this season.
 
The Huskies quest for a PSAC Tournament berth continues into the final weekend of the regular season. Bloomsburg hosts East Stroudsburg University next Friday, November 12, at 7:00 pm before welcoming Kutztown to Nelson Field House for a 6:00 pm Senior Night Celebration to wrap up the regular season.