CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Bloomsburg volleyball team split its final two games of the Golden Eagle Invitational on Saturday, sweeping Bowie State before falling in five sets to Charleston.
 
Three Huskies finished the day with double digit kills with Marlee Johnson (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) posting a team-high 26 kills. Katie Kuehl (Aston, Pa./Archmere Academy (Del.)) finished close behind with 25 while Emily Gustie (Crofton, Md./Crofton) recorded 18.
 
Bloomsburg (2-9) excelled at the service line, combining for 26 aces across the two games. Hannah Robson (Charlotte, N.C./Arborbrook) posted nine aces on the day, with seven in three sets against Bowie State.
 
Overall, the maroon and gold recorded 96 kills on the day.
 
Game One – Bloomsburg 3, Bowie State 0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-16)
 
The Huskies started the come strong, with Johnson contributing three kills in the maroon and gold's 5-0, opening run. The two teams traded points back-and-forth before a 4-0 Huskies run to bring the score to 12-5. Bowie State slowly closed the gap to even the score at 18-18. A service error gave the Huskies back the serve where Robson posted three straight aces. Bloomsburg went on to close out the set 25-20.
 
The Bulldogs found the early momentum in the second set, capitalizing on errors to take a 5-2 lead. A 5-1 run from the Huskies swung the momentum, and the lead, back in their favor. Bloomsburg and Bowie State battled closely through much of the second set. With the maroon and gold up 18-17, Elise Adelman (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial), Johnson and Gustie contributed kills in a seven-point, set-winning run.
 
A 7-3 run to start the half gave Bloomsburg the early advantage as Kuehl, Johnson and Lydia Worthing (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood Antis) picked up kills to start the frame. Back-to-back points from the Bulldogs brought the score to 7-5 before Kuehl notched three kills in a 5-0 Huskies run. Bowie State would look to close a gap with a four-point run, however the Huskies responded with a four-point swing of their own to take a 21-12 lead. Back-to-back kills from Sophie Wales (Port Matilda, Pa./State College) gave Bloomsburg the set and the win.
 
Johnson and Kuehl each finished the match with 12 kills while Wales posted six in the contest. Robson recorded seven aces in the contest, falling one short of matching the program record.
 
Game Two – Charleston 3, Bloomsburg 2 (25-18, 25-21, 22-25, 23-25, 7-15)
 
Gustie put the Huskies on the board first against Charleston with an ace while Johnson contributed a kill as Bloomsburg quickly went up 3-0. After a quick trading of points, the maroon and gold went on another three-point run to go ahead 7-2. The continued back-and-forth saw the score advance to an 18-17 Golden Eagle lead. Bloomsburg took the first set with an eight-point run. Gustie tallied four kills in the run while Maura Uschock (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield) ended the set with three-straight aces.  
 
The second set saw Charles move ahead 5-4 before Bloomsburg turned the tide with a six-point run. A six-one run from the Golden Eagles leveled the score at 11-11. From there, a back-and-forth saw neither team gain the edge until the score was tied at 20. The maroon and gold then picked up three kills and a pair of aces to take the second set.
 
After the Huskies took a 5-3 lead to open the set, Charleston posted a seven-point swing to take the 10-5 lead. Bloomsburg slowly chipped away at the lead as it looked to complete the sweep, however a late surge from the Golden Eagles forced a fourth set.
 
Charleston jumped ahead early in the fifth set, posting an 8-1 scoring stretch. A pair of 3-0 runs from Bloomsburg closed the gap before a four-point swing from the opposition saw the score sit at 15-8. The Huskies registered their own big run, leveling the score to 20-20 on a 12-5 stretch. Charleston came close to ending the set with a four-point run before the maroon and gold scored three-straight points to move the score 24-23. The Golden Eagles then recorded a kill to take the set and force a fifth frame.
 
A pair of kills from Worthing helped give the Huskies an early 4-1 advantage in the final set. Bloomsburg was unable to keep the momentum as Charleston completed the comeback and took the fifth set 15-7.
 
Three Huskies finished the contest with double digit kills, as Johnson and Gustie posted 14 each and Kuehl recorded 13. Bloomsburg tallied 14 aces with Adelman and Uschock notching four apiece and Erin Clark (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) registering three.
 
Bloomsburg is back in action on Thursday, September 26 for a non-conference, road matchup against Wilmington at 6 p.m.