FAIRMONT, W.Va. - The Bloomsburg volleyball team dropped its first two matches of the season at the Fairmont State Classic on Friday.

The Huskies dropped their opening match of the season in straight sets against 2023 NCAA qualifier Lenoir-Rhyne, 14-25, 21-25, 23-25 in the day's first action. In game two, Bloomsburg faced off with PSAC rival Slippery Rock in a four-set contest, with The Rock getting the better of Bloomsburg, 24-26, 25-13, 25-15, 25-11. 

Marlee Johnson (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) paced the Huskies offensively, totaling 16 kills across the two matches. Allison Saalfrank (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge) picked up where she left off from the service line a season ago, tallying five between games. The junior set a new career high in kills (8) and points (11) against the Rock while averaging 15 digs per game, leading the team across both games. In game one, freshman Katie Kuehl (Aston, Pa./Archmere Academy (Del.)) recorded the most kills by a first-year player in a season opener since 2019 (8). 

How It Happened:
Game One vs. Lenoir-Rhyne
The Huskies got off to a slow start in the first set in the face of a strong block from the Bears. After Lenoir-Rhyne jumped out to a 7-1 advantage, Kuehl recorded the first kill of her career and the season for Bloomsburg. Johnson made her presence felt on the opening day, starting 3-for-3 while closing the gap to seven at 9-16. At 21-12, the two sides fought fervently in a highly-contested rally that eventually fell in favor of the Bears en route to claiming the first set.

The Huskies found their spark to begin the second set, taking a 9-2 lead through the early going. Bloomsburg found points in several avenues, with Kuehl recording three kills in the run and the team recording service aces from Elise Adelman (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial), Emily Gustie (Crofton, Md./Crofton) and Hannah Robson (Charlotte, N.C./Arborbrook).

The two sides traded the subsequent points as the Bears began to claw their way back into the set, capping off the effort with four consecutive kills to grab a 15-14 edge in the second frame. The Huskies quickly regained the lead with a kill from Adelman and a solo block from Sophie Wales (Port Matilda, Pa./State College) to make it 16-15. An 8-1 rally from Lenoir-Rhyne put the Bears on the doorstep of taking set two before a 4-0 run from Bloomsburg cut the deficit to two at 23-21. Lenoir-Rhyne capped the set with the final two points to grab a 2-0 lead in the match. 

The back-and-forth nature of the contest reflected again in the third set with the two sides trading points up to a 5-4 lead for the Bears. The Huskies took control of the early portion of the set off the heels of an 8-1 rally featuring several errors from Lenoir-Rhyne and a pair of aces from Saalfrank to make it 12-6.

A 7-2 rally from the Bears closed the gap to two before a two-point spurt tied the set at 15-15. Following a kill from Wales to give Bloomsburg a 16-15 advantage, Lenoir-Rhyne surged with a 9-3 run to put them at set point. The Huskies did not flinch in front of the deficit, recording four straight points, featuring a kill from Kuehl and two more aces from Gustie to bring the match within one. In the end, Bloomsburg came up just short in forcing a fourth set in the first action of the season.

Game Two vs. Slippery Rock
The Huskies countered a slow start in game one by taking the first set against the Rock. Bloomsburg found itself down 5-9 in the opening frame before using a six-point surge to grab an 11-9 advantage; several players chipped in on offense during another strong service run from Saalfrank. A kill and ace from Wales sparked an exchange between the sides before back-to-back kills from Saalfrank set the match at 17-13. The Rock found their own six-point spurt to regain the lead at 19-18 and force a timeout from the Huskies. Bloomsburg regained its composure, leaning on Johnson and Saalfrank to take set one.

The pace of the second set belonged to Slippery Rock as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe jumped out to a 14-5 edge in set two. The momentum continued to lean in The Rock's favor to 22-9. Saalfrank and Wales notched kills before Slippery Rock closed set two. 

The Huskies better matched the intensity of The Rock to open the third set by matching point swings with their opponents. Kuehl and Lydia Worthing (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood Antis) got things going in the set with a block to fire up the team, leading to a 3-1 advantage. Slippery Rock would pull out in front, 10-6, before Adelman and Johnson each recorded two kills to bring the set within one. The Rock responded to the Huskies' efforts with an 8-1 run to grab a 19-11 edge. A three-point run cut the deficit to five but was not enough to stop Slippery Rock from taking a 2-1 set lead. 

The fourth set saw The Rock again get off to a strong start, claiming an 8-3 lead in the early onset. A three-point effort brought Bloomsburg within striking distance but not enough to stop Slippery Rock from expanding its advantage to 15-8. The Huskies continued to battle throughout the set, fighting to sustain rallies but it was not enough to stop Slippery Rock from securing the victory. 

On The Horizon:
The Huskies are back in action at the Fairmont State Classic on Saturday, September 7, with another two games. The day starts with a 12:00 p.m. contest against hosts Fairmont State before wrapping up the opening weekend at 4:00 p.m. against Virginia Union.