BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg volleyball team capped off an impressive rallying effort to complete the reverse sweep over West Chester, 16-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 15-9, inside Nelson Field House Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies' comeback effort started after taking a fiercely contested third set that saw 16 tie scores and nine lead changes before Bloomsburg captured it, 25-23. From then on, the Huskies were the more effective side in every facet of the match, riding the attained momentum to the match win. 

Three players finished the contest with double-digit kills, as Marlee Johnson (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) (18), Emily Gustie (Crofton, Md./Crofton) (12) and Sophie Wales (Port Matilda, Pa./State College) (11) were the offensive focal points in the match. Katie Kuehl (Aston, Pa./Archmere Academy (Del.)) supplied another efficient night for Bloomsburg, recording a team-best .333 hitting percentage among Huskies with at least 20 attacks. 

Bloomsburg improves to 5-10 on the season and moves to 3-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division. West Chester falls to 8-7 overall and sits at 1-2 in conference action.

How It Happened:
The Huskies were out of sync through the first two sets of Saturday afternoon's contest but improved and adjusted as the match progressed. After dropping the first set, 16-25, Bloomsburg inched its way back in the second set to push the Golden Rams. Elise Adelman (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) tied the second set at 23-23 to put the Huskies in range of tying the match before key individual efforts from Anna Richardson on the block and Lacie Brown from the service line put West Chester up 2-0. 

The second set was a back-and-forth affair, with Bloomsburg trailing 3-6 early. The Huskies tied things up at 6-6 after skill from Gustie and a pair of attack errors from the Golden Rams. Bloomsburg tools its first lead in the set with a 3-0 run for a 10-9 edge. Adelman started things with a kill of her own before setting up Johnson to make it 9-9. Johnson paired with Wales during the next point for a block to grab the lead.

A flurry of exchanges continued deep into the set, with West Chester holding a 23-22 advantage on serve. A bad set forced a tie at 23-23 and the resilience of the Huskies shined through in the following points. Hannah Au (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) provided assists with the team playing out of system, to Gustie and Kuehl on back-to-back points to make it a 1-2 contest through three sets.

Perseverance shifted into confidence for Bloomsburg as the team used the momentum to tie the match at 2-2. Tied at 9-9, the Huskies used a 4-0 run to establish a foothold and not give up the edge for the remainder of the game. The run saw the Golden Rams dig themselves into a deficit before an emphatic kill from Johnson provided a four-point advantage for the Huskies. 

The fourth set closed with Lydia Worthing (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood Antis) attacking the left side of West Chester's defense, throwing the visitors out of system to clinch the point and force the tie. 

The Huskies wrapped things up in the fifth set in a similar, more emphatic means, not trailing at any point in the final frame. Gustie helped Bloomsburg to a 2-0 lead following a service ace. The Huskies' advantage grew to 4-1 following a solo block from Johnson. The Golden Rams forced the only tie of the set at 7-7 before a 3-0 run from Bloomsburg, featuring two kills from Gustie. After a service error turned the ball back over to the Huskies, Erin Clark (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) closed things out in service, setting up Johnson and Adelman for a kill and taking the match into her own hands with an ace on the final point to take set five, 15-9.

Orchestrating the offense, Adelman finished the day with 47 assists and two aces. Allison Saalfrank (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) and Gustie joined Adelman with multiple aces in the match. Gustie, with Wales (team-high four total), Kuehl (team-best two solo), Johnson and Worthing all had at least two total blocks. 

Numbers of Note:
3-0 - After Saturday afternoon's win, the Bloomsburg women's volleyball program is 3-0 to start the 2024 PSAC schedule. That start is the best to start a conference slate in program history and the second time starting with consecutive wins to begin PSAC action in the program's six seasons.

23 - Gustie's defensive presence has been noteworthy in the Huskies' conference play. The sophomore recorded her third consecutive game with double-digit digs, finishing with a career-high 23 in the victory against the Golden Rams.

22 - Adelman's balance as a player is vital to Bloomsburg's recent success. With 12 digs on the night, the setter recorded her 22nd career double-double and fifth of the season. 

.323 - Kuehl's offensive consistency to begin conference play has been valuable to her team's success. With 62 swings against PSAC opposition, the first-year outside hitter is hitting .323. That mark is the best among listed outside hitters in conference games and second among freshmen, averaging at least four attacks per set. 

On The Horizon:
The Huskies are on the road for their first conference road matchups of the season, beginning on Friday, October 11, at 7:00 p.m. against East Stroudsburg.