ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Ursinus College volleyball team fell in straight sets at Elizabethtown on Tuesday night, 3-0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-18).
The Bears (5-15) grabbed three points early in the first set, with a pair of kills from freshmen Paige DeAlba and Jayme Callum. A pair of service errors on Elizabethtown kept Ursinus within striking distance – trailing 8-4, but the Blue Jays (14-9) continued to extend their lead, pulling away to win the set 25-13. Sophomore Lydia Pierce chipped in a kill and a block in the set while her classmate Miranda Foster registered a pair of kills.
Set No. 2 started much like the first, with the Bears relying on Blue Jays errors to stay close, with sophomore Kelly Piotrowicz striking a kill to pull to within 7-4. A kill from senior Allison Raff made it 8-5 before an Elizabethtown error and an ace from senior Taylor McCartney cut it to a one-point game. Four Blue Jays points created a bit of a cushion that they wouldn't relinquish, ultimately coming away with the set, 25-14.
Piotrowicz gave the Bears their first lead of the night on a service ace to put her squad up 2-1 early in the third set. She assisted on five points and recorded two kills in a run that left the Bears trailing 18-15. Elizabethtown would win the set 25-18.
Piotrowicz led the team in assists, with 16, to go with three kills, six digs and a block. Raff and DeAlba tied for the team lead in kills as each posted six; Raff would add nine digs and DeAlba chipped in six kills and three assists. Sophomore Lauren Novotny served a pair of aces to go along with eight digs.
The Bears return to Helfferich Hall for their next match, a date against Penn State-Abington on Friday night. They'll host No. 18 Johns Hopkins on Saturday to celebrate their Senior Day festivities.