CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Bloomsburg volleyball team dropped its final two games of the Vulcan Invitational on Friday.
 
The Huskies fell in straight sets in their opening match of the day to Frostburg State, 18-25, 27-29, 22-25. Game two saw the maroon and gold fight tooth and nail with Point Park, dropping the match in straight sets, 15-25, 32-34, 27-29.
 
Marlee Johnson (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) led the attack for Bloomsburg, posting 28 kills across the two contests. Johnson set a new career-high in kills in game one with 17, matching the Bloomsburg record for kills in a three-set contest. Elise Adelman (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) tallied 65 assists on the day, as she connected with nine different players to record kills.
 
Game One vs. Frostburg State
 
Bloomsburg fell behind 4-1 to start the contest before Johnson notched the first kill of the day for the Huskies. The Bobcats then went on an 8-3 rally to pull ahead 12-5. A kill from Johnson capped off a three-point swing for Bloomsburg before FSU responded with a 6-1 run to move the score to 18-9. The maroon and gold traded points with Frostburg State, but were unable to mount a comeback in the first set. Johnson finished the set with eight kills.
 
The second set started with a back-and-forth battle between the two teams before the Huskies posted a 5-0 run to take an 8-4 lead. Frostburg State responded with its own five-point swing to regain the lead in the set. The frame remained within arm's reach of either side before an ace from Tayla Miller (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) and a trio of kills from Allison Saalfrank (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) put Bloomsburg ahead 22-19. The second frame required extra volleyball as the Huskies would look to close the set while ahead 27-26, however FSU managed to complete the three-point rally to take the set.
 
Frostburg took the momentum into the third set to start 4-0. A pair of kills from Johnson got the Huskies on the board as they looked to mount a comeback. The maroon and gold took the lead after a 7-2 run moved the score to 14-12, however FSU responded yet again with a six-point run. Bloomsburg was unable to recapture the lead, dropping the third and final set 22-25.
 
Johnson finished the game with 17 kills while Saalfrank recorded double-digit kills with 10. Saalfrank and Emily Gustie (Crofton, Md./Crofton) each picked up a pair of service aces.
 
Game Two vs. Point Park
 
The Huskies second game of the day saw the newest members of the Mountain East Conference begin the game with a four-point run. Kills from Sophie Wales (Port Matilda, Pa./State College), Lydia Worthing (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood Antis), Katie Kuehl (Aston, Pa./Archmere Academy (Del.)) and Johnson managed to keep the Huskies within striking distance early on. Three consecutive kills from the Pioneers' Eden McElhaney put Point Park further ahead and the Huskies were unable to recover, dropping the set 15-25.
 
Bloomsburg and Point Park went point-for-point in the early goings of the second set, with either side managing anything more than a two-point lead. With the maroon and gold ahead 8-7, the Pioneers turned the tide with a six-point run to take a 13-8 advantage.
 
A 7-2 swing evened the score a 15 apiece with Wales recording back-to-back aces in the process. After a quick sequence to move Bloomsburg ahead 18-17, Point Park scored four-straight to take the 21-18 lead. The Huskies quickly brought the game back to even on a pair of kills from Wales and an attack error from the opposing side.
 
The teams traded a one-point lead well past 25 points, with Point Park ultimately taking the second set 34-32. It is the highest scoring set the Huskies have played since a 38-36 set against Millersville on October 7, 2023.
 
The third set proved to be a game of momentum swings, as the Pioneers and the Huskies traded three-point runs to start the set. From the early moments of the set, Point Park kept a three-point lead over Bloomsburg. The maroon and gold finally closed the gap late in the set, evening a score at 22-22.
 
Bloomsburg pushed the third set past 25 points, but missed out on two chances of closing the set. Point Park closed out the contest with an ace to take the final set 29-27.
 
The Huskies return to action on Friday, September 20 as they face D'Youville at 9:30 a.m. in their first game of the Golden Eagle Classic hosted by the University of Charleston.