Eagles Add Two to the Win Column in Saturday Doubleheader

SCRANTON, PA- The Juniata women's volleyball team took two games from two in a doubleheader on Saturday. Victories came by a 3-2 score over the University of Scranton and a 3-0 sweep of the Marymount University Saints.

The Eagles opened the day at noon against the Royals of Scranton University in their second Landmark Conference matchup of the year. 

In a set which included ten ties, neither team gained a large lead early. The Eagles led 6-3, but the Royals came back to lead 6-7. The teams then traded nine consecutive before trading 3-0 runs. A 4-0 run followed from the Eagles gave them another narrow three point advantage, but like most of the set, the Royals kept it close. At 19-18 though, the Eagles found another clutch run to end the set 25-18 on a 6-0 run. Elizabeth Cleveland finished the set on a service ace.

Set two began with a commanding 6-1 run from the Eagles, but the Royals tied it up 7-7 and again at 8-8. Both teams were battling and the score stayed close. As the set came down to the wire, Scranton gained an edge with two 0-3 runs separated only by two points from Juniata. At 21-24, the Eagles would have to fend off three set points, and were unable to mount a late comeback. Scranton took set two, 22-25.

With the sets tied 1-1, set three was important for either side to put the pressure on the other in the fourth set. The Eagles fit right inbetween their opening runs from the first two sets, taking an early 6-2 lead this time. Despite the Royals coming within one point twice, the Eagles amazingly never lost that lead. The Eagles advantage was as large as five at 11-6, and once the Royals had made it 19-18, the Eagles found their moment to surge ahead. Ending the set on a 6-1 run with a Royals attack error, the Eagles won 25-19.

Set four was crucial for the Royals, who opened it by winning eight of the first ten points. Later, a seven-point surge gave the Eagles a lead from five points behind at 16-14. The teams were tied again 19-19 before heading into the final stretch. After splitting the next six points, both teams were three points away from the set win. The Eagles battled hard but the Royals found three great moments of offense to tie the game up, 2-2,  taking set four, 23-25.

The fifth set, like much of the game, stayed close early. After splitting the first ten points evenly, the Eagles gained the first significant after a three-point spurt lead at 8-5. The lead became dropped to two at 9-7, but the Eagles finished the match in style. A 6-0 run characterized the Eagles performance perfectly, finishing strong. Ava Gummer made the final kill, guiding the Eagles to a 15-7 win in set five and a 3-2 victory to push the Eagles to 2-0 in conference play.

For match one, Audrey Muth led with 16 kills while Cleveland totaled 42 assists. Isabella Rushing made 29 digs in the backcourt.

The second match of the day began at 2:00 p.m. in Scranton against the Marymount University Saints.

The first set of this match was largely characterized by an 8-1 run in the middle of the set which found the Eagles up 17-11 after trailing 9-10. A 4-0 burst a few points later pushed the lead to nine, and the Eagles were able to comfortably see out set one, 25-16. Rushing clinched the set with a service ace on the final point.

Neither team held more than a one-point lead until the Eagles gained a small edge, up 11-7, midway through set two. The Royals quickly responded and tied the game 11-11, and later regained the lead 12-13. That lead was short-lived though, as the Eagles came back with a 5-0 run to re-establish their advantage. Up 24-20, the Eagles had four chances at set point, and kept the crowd on the edge of their seats, waiting until the fourth point to claim victory in set two. Winning by a 25-23 scoreline, Hannah Webber made the final kill for the Eagles on an assist by Mari Hansen. 

In their third and final set of the match the Eagles found dominant form, opening up a 10-1 lead to start a set which they would never trail in. At 20-5, the lead was its largest, and the Saints were struggling to come up with answers to stop the Eagles. That 15-point advantage was replicated in the final scoreline, as the Eagles took set three for a 3-0 sweep, 25-10. Emily Farrell made the final kill of the night.

Kills were spread across the board, with Farrell contributing the team-high seven. Cleveland made 14 assists and Rushing made 10 digs on the night.

Now 12-2 overall and 2-0 in conference, the Eagles will enter an eight-game stretch with seven games in conference, starting with a matchup against the Goucher University Gophers next Friday night at 7:00 p.m. The Dig Pink Match will start a three-game home stand where the Eagles will host another doubleheader on Saturday.