BETHLEHEM, Pa. – For the second time in as many days at the Greyhound Premiere Invitational, the Ursinus College volleyball team left Moravian College's annual showcase with a split of its two matches, this time defeating Medaille in four sets before dropping a 3-0 decision to Wesley.
Junior Allison Raff was a force in the opener, which Ursinus (2-2) took by a tally of 25-10, 17-25, 25-16, 25-20. The Bears' prolific outside hitter rolled up a season-best 19 kills – the second-highest total of her career – and added 12 digs for her first double-double of the new campaign. Raff committed only two errors among 41 total attacks, also compiling the second-best hitting percentage of her career at .415.
Sophomore libero Sydney Gonzalez notched seven digs and served a career-best eight aces, the highest total by an Ursinus player since Raff posted 15 in a 2014 victory over Muskingum.
Freshman setter Kelly Piotrowicz handed out a season-best 31 assists and chipped in 11 digs to spark a Bear attack that finished with a .214 hitting percentage (40K-15E-117TA) and registered 24 kills over the final two sets. Sophomore Grace LaDelfa collected five kills, and senior Danielle Kenny complemented three kills with three digs and a pair of blocks. Junior right side Taylor McCartney contributed eight digs and three kills to the Ursinus cause.
The Bears struggled to find a rhythm on offense in their nightcap opposite Wesley, counteracting 21 kills with 21 errors and producing just 11 kills against 15 errors in the second and third sets. The Wolverines, conversely, pounded 45 kills, served 14 aces, and racked up 17 blocks. Tionne Graves-Brown (13 kills, 11 digs) and Codi Ziolkowski (10 kills, five blocks, four aces) combined for 23 kills to just two miscues.
Raff paced the Bears in kills for the fourth straight match with 11 and hustled to seven digs, while Piotrowicz distributed 15 assists to go with two aces and a block. Senior setter Emily van Mulbregt added 10 digs and six assists for Ursinus.
Gonzalez, who had eight digs and an ace in the nightcap, was named to the all-tournament team.
The Bears take to the road to face Rutgers-Camden on Tuesday, September 6.