FINDLAY, Ohio – The Bloomsburg volleyball team split its two matches in the Friday portion of the Findlay Classic, earning the first win of the 2023 campaign in straight sets against Saginaw Valley State.
After playing their fourth five-set match of the season, the Huskies (1-5) showed perseverance and grit to earn a 3-0 win over the Cardinals with career highs of six aces and 17 digs from
Allison Saalfrank (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) and clutch hitting performances from across the roster.
How It Happened:
In the second match of the day against Saginaw Valley State (2-4), the Bloomsburg offense came out firing on all cylinders.
Marlee Johnson (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) and
Jenna Dubosky (Summit Hill, Pa./Panther Valley) powered the attack, recording five kills and a .714 hitting percentage each in the first frame. Setter
Elise Adelman (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) dished out 10 assists to help pace the offense.
After the Huskies started set two with an early lead that eventually became a 6-6 tie, the Saginaw Valley State positioned itself to bounce back and even the contest. Bloomsburg had other plans, grinding out a tremendous effort to come from down 19-10 to take a 2-0 set lead.
The Huskies initially capitalized on a series of mistakes to close the margin. While on serve, Saalfrank capped off a 7-0 run for Bloomsburg with two aces to cut the deficit to 19-17.
Dubosky,
Liz Bopp (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) and a timely serve from
Julia Holmes (Elkton, Md./Bohemia Manor) evened the second set at 20-20 before more costly errors from Cardinals gave Bloomsburg its first lead since the early portions of the frame.
Emma Antigua (Kimball, Minn./Kimball) came through with a pair of timely kills to help wrap up the second set and extend the Huskies' lead into the third set. Bopp provided a team-leading three kills to help Bloomsburg clinch the set.
In what was the last frame of the night, the Huskies remained locked in and continued to play their game. As the Cardinals stacked further mistakes, Bloomsburg kept its calm to an eventual victory.
The Huskies sat back and gained a quick 9-1 advantage in the final set thanks to forcing seven attack errors from Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals began to reestablish a foothold in the match, taking a 13-12 lead near the midway point of the set. After further exchange of runs made it 19-19, Bloomsburg continued to play its game, using a 4-0 run to gain a 23-19 advantage before kills from Antigua and
Emily Jackson (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Hills) sealed the set and match for the Huskies.
In game one of the day, Bloomsburg went to five sets for the fourth time in its first five matches but could not come away with a victory over Cedarville.
The Huskies captured the first set with an all-around team effort. Six different Bloomsburg players recorded a kill in the opening set, with Antigua, Bopp and Dubosky each notching a pair.
The Huskies fell behind early in the first set, 6-2, but began slowly clawing away at the lead. A 5-0 run capitalizing on several mistakes by Cedarville helped Bloomsburg to a 10-8 advantage.
Antigua provided an edge from the service line with consecutive aces. The Huskies secured four points in total from the line in the first set. The Yellow Jackets made a late push, but Dubosky closed out a 25-19 frame for Bloomsburg.
After falling behind two sets to one, the Huskies stormed back, taking the fourth set 25-19. Bloomsburg used a 7-0 run to take a 12-6, not looking back and forcing the fifth and deciding set.
Despite jumping out to an 11-8 advantage late in the final frame, Cedarville rallied from the three-point deficit and captured eight of the last nine points of the match.
Antigua led the Huskies in kills for the fourth time this season, ending the match with 15, while Dubosky finished with a career-high 12 kills, and Bopp added seven kills (.300) and four block assists. Adelman recorded a double-double in both matches, giving her four on the season.
On The Horizon:
The women's volleyball team wraps up action at the Findlay Classic with a 9:00 a.m. matchup against Hillsdale.
