BRYN ATHYN, Pa. - The Ursinus College volleyball team played a tri-match against FDU-Florham and host Bryn Athyn on Saturday. When all was said and done, the Bears swept the Devils before ending the day with a 3-1 win over the Lions.
Ursinus 3, FDU-Florham 0
A close first set in the early goings, the Bears finally pulled away at 10-10. Kills from Rachael Girard and Kelly Piotrowicz put the Bears up by three. Leading 17-14 late in the late, Ursinus went on an 8-3 run to close out the set. A kill by Isabelle Deal gave the Bears the opener, 25-16.
The Bears kept that momentum going into the second. After leading 4-3, the Bears would lose just eight points the rest of the way. An 8-2 run led by two aces from Girard and kills from Deal and Piotrowicz put the Bears up 13-5. Up 23-11, Ursinus closed out the set by winning back-to-back points with a kill from Piotrowicz and ace by Grace Sullivan.
Again, the Bears controlled play in the third set. Ursinus came out firing, taking an early 11-3 lead. Three straight Devil errors gave the Bears the sweep in the first match of the day.
Piotrowicz led the team with nine kills and 21 digs. Luca Walborn added 23 assists.
Ursinus 3, Bryn Athyn 1
The Bears started slowly in their second game of the afternoon, finding themselves down 8-1 in the early goings. However, the Bears slowly came back. An ace from Kaitlyn McGinley tied the score at 12 and then a Lion error gave Ursinus the lead and the Bears didn't give it back. The Bears squandered their first set point but won the second to take the first set, 26-24.
Again, Ursinus fell behind early in the second but again stormed back. Trailing, 7-4, the Bears won five straight points with two kills from Miranda Foster and two aces from Walborn. Like in the first set, the Bears didn't relinquish the lead. The Lions came back within two at 22-20, but the Bears took three of the final five points to take the set.
In the third set, it was the Lions who made a comeback of their own. Looking to take their second sweep of the day and leading, 17-11, in the third, the host school came back with a 7-3 run to tie the set at 20. The Lions went on to take the set, 25-20.
After losing the lead in the third, the Bears jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the fourth. The Lions once again came back to tie the set up at 9-9. Neither team separated by more than two points as the set saw seven ties. Finally, tied at 20, the Bears took control. Three kills by Girard down the stretch gave the Bears their second win of the day as they won the fourth, 25-23.
Girard led the way in the second game with 20 kills and 12 digs good for a double-double. Luca Walborn added a double-double as well with 39 assists and 16 digs.