Volleyball Swept by Shorewomen

Volleyball Swept by Shorewomen

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – One big run in each set and a consistent hitting performance throughout was enough to send visiting Washington College to a 3-0 Centennial Conference sweep of the Ursinus College volleyball team on Tuesday night.

The Shorewomen (10-15, 3-6) had nine kills in each frame – all with no more than three errors – and hit .274 for the night, with six players registering at least four kills. After a strong first set, the Bears (9-17, 1-8) struggled to maintain a rhythm on offense and ended up with more errors than kills for the night.

The first frame was a fast-moving affair, with kills flying through the air inside Helfferich Hall. Ursinus racked up 13 for the period, including one apiece from four different players in a 6-3 opening spurt. But after junior Kelly Piotrowicz tied it at 9 with a kill, Washington College reeled off eight points in a row to take a stranglehold on the set.

The Bears did a remarkable job of making things interesting, getting three kills from Piotrowicz in a 6-1 spurt that trimmed their deficit to 22-20. The Shoremen, however, finished it off with back-to-back kills followed by an ace.

The second set was tight for a while, and Ursinus had a 10-7 advantage when junior Miranda Foster, sophomore Hannah Merges, and freshman Olivia DeBonte uncorked kills on three straight points. The Bears still had the upper hand, 12-11, on another spike by DeBonte, but it all fell apart from there as the Shorewomen closed the frame on a 14-1 run.

The third set was similar to the second, the Bears hanging around early before Washington College turned up the heat. Kills from Merges and DeBonte helped the home side go up 5-3, but the Shorewomen rattled off 12 of the next 13 points and were never threatened again.

Washington College had major advantages in blocks (6-2) and service aces (10-3).

Piotrowicz produced five of her six kills in the first set and added 13 digs and 11 assists, with DeAlba supplying 11 assists and five digs. Foster and sophomore Emily Harris picked up five kills apiece, with Foster chipping in two blocks. Sophomore Meghan O'Leary served a pair of aces.

The Bears continue a season-ending three-match home set on Thursday against Elizabethtown.