Bloomsburg Athletics

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Bloomsburg women's volleyball team battled point-for-point with one of the PSAC East's top teams but ultimately fell to West Chester in straight sets, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20, on Friday night inside Hollinger Fieldhouse.
 
The Huskies (7-9, 0-5 PSAC East) put together a balanced offensive effort led by Allison Saalfrank (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge), who finished with a team-high nine kills and a .348 hitting percentage. Marlee Johnson (Newville, Pa./Big Spring) added eight kills while hitting .421, and Katie Kuehl (Aston, Pa./Archmere Academy (Del.)) chipped in seven kills to round out a strong night at the net. Erin Clark (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) directed the offense with 15 assists and Jessica Rimbo (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) added 14. Emily Gustie (Crofton, Md./Crofton) led the team with six digs.
 
In the opening set, Bloomsburg came out strong as Johnson and Saalfrank each delivered early to build a 2–0 lead. West Chester responded with a run to pull ahead, but the Huskies clawed back within striking distance midway through the frame. Clark kept the offense flowing with quick a set to Saalfrank and added a service ace, cutting the deficit to 20–16 before the Golden Rams closed out the set, 25–19.
 
The second set featured some of Bloomsburg's best play of the night. After trading points through the early stages, the Huskies grabbed momentum with a service ace from Emily Gustie (Crofton, Md./Crofton) and kills from Saalfrank and Kuehl to tie the score at 10–10. Bloomsburg continued to apply pressure with strong defensive play from Holmes and Hannah Au (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville), but West Chester used a late run to edge the Huskies 25–20.
 
Bloomsburg refused to back down in the third set, rallying from an early deficit to tie the score at 6–6 behind a pair of Johnson kills and a Saalfrank ace. The Huskies continued to push as Kuehl and Saalfrank each put down key points to keep the frame close. Despite the rally, West Chester's late surge secured the 25–20 win and the match sweep.
 
Bloomsburg finished the night with 29 kills, a .224 hitting percentage, and 25 digs as a team.
 
The Huskies continue PSAC East play on Saturday, traveling to Millersville for a 1 p.m. matchup.