BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg volleyball team battled to the end in a five-set defeat at Nelson Field House on Friday against Millersville.
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The Huskies (11-14, 2-11 PSAC East) jumped out to a roaring start to take a one-set lead to begin the night before the Marauders (8-19, 1-13 PSAC East) rallied to take the next two sets. Bloomsburg recovered in the fourth set to force the deciding frame. Coming down to narrow margins, Millersville found itself in the position to finish the match on the final swing of the night.
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Katie Kuehl (Aston, Pa./Archmere Academy (Del.)) led all players on Friday with 18 kills, hitting .318 in the contest. The outside hitter added nine digs and two aces to her final stat line.
Lydia Worthing (Tyrone, Pa./Bellwood Antis) had a strong performance in the middle, compiling 12 kills on a .364 hitting day while recording five total blocks, including a career-best four solo stops.
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How It Happened:
The Huskies had the Marauders contained in the first set, with the visitors hitting -.265 in the first frame with as many attack errors as points earned (12). The opening set began with an even start, as the two sides were tied at 6-6. With Bloomsburg up 8-7, the home team went on a 10-1 run to claim a commanding 18-8 advantage. Kuehl starred in the stretch with three kills and an ace. Up 22-12, the Huskies closed on a 3-0 spurt wrapped up with a solo block from Worthing.
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In the second set, the Marauders saw over a .500 swing in their hitting percentage to tie the match at one set apiece. The early portion of the set went back and forth, with Millersville out on the front foot. The visitors momentarily went down 9-8 before notching a 7-0 run to establish a 15-8 edge. Bloomsburg could not establish a rhythm in the set and make a meaningful attempt at avoiding the tie.
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The Marauders carried that momentum into a potent third set on the attack for both teams. Bloomsburg did well to hit .379 in the frame, but were outdone by Millersville. The visitors ended the third set hitting .455 and had 18 kills to the Huskies' 13. The Marauders wasted little time with their sights set on a lead, rattling off a 6-0 stretch to go up early, 8-2. The Huskies saw the deficit climb to as much as nine in the fourth set, but valiantly combatted the efforts from Millersville to pull away. Worthing and
Abigail Eagler (Greencastle, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) were the driving force for Bloomsburg's hopes in the set, tallying the team's next five kills to help close the margin to as few as two, down 19-21. The Marauders had just enough to claim a 2-1 advantage in the match, closing with a 4-1 run.
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The Huskies maintained their course in the match, winning a scrappy fourth set to tie the match at 2-2. Bloomsburg trailed early, 3-7, before a 10-1 stretch helped the home side build a five-point cushion. Eagler and Worthing again emerged in the important moments, with Eagler recording two kills and two aces in the run along with Worthing's pair of kills. The two teams traded several marathon rallies throughout the night, particularly in the fourth set with the match at stake. The sides traded a series of sideouts as the fourth set progressed to its latter stages, with Millersville making its attempts to swoop in near the end. 19 of the final 22 points earned between the teams were one-series sideouts to end the fourth set, with Eagler getting the closing kill.
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The Huskies were in an uphill battle from the beginning of the fifth set, finding themselves in an early 3-0 hole. Bloomsburg fended off several attempts from Millersville to get past a three-point lead in the set, with the visitors establishing that buffer as late as 9-12. The Huskies pulled within one point three times down the stretch, but at 13-14, staring down match point, Bloomsburg could not get the stop it needed to keep the match alive.
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On the Horizon:
The Huskies are back at Nelson Field House on Saturday, November 7, at 4:00 p.m. for the season finale and Senior Day against West Chester.
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