LANCASTER, Pa. - Penn State Harrisburg's women's volleyball team would not be denied in a back-and-forth, five-set conference victory over United East rival Lancaster Bible on Tuesday night, Sept. 30. The Lions came from behind to pick up the crucial road win by narrow set scores of 24-26, 25-20, 20-25, 25-22 and 15-10.
Camryn Wettstone had a big night offensively, finishing with a team-high 16 kills. Brianna Ondishin Ribon got it done on both ends, racking up a team-best 21 digs to go along with eight kills, while Mackenzy Miller tallied 27 assists. Alex Jurney contributed with six total blocks and Nicole Dos Santos added a match-high four service aces.
After dropping the first set by the narrowest of margins, Penn State Harrisburg (9-4, 2-0 United East) answered back in the second. The Lions raced out to a 6-1 lead but Lancaster Bible (6-9, 1-1 United East) responded with a run that allowed the home team to pull even at 8-8. After the Chargers took the lead midway through the set, the visitors pulled back in front during a Kate Bukowski service run that included a Hannah DeGregory kill and blocks from Ondishin Ribon and Jurney before Emily Miller put the finishing touches on the second-set win with a kill off a Tobi West assist.
LBC took set three, forcing the Lions to win two straight sets to take the match. After building a six-point advantage midway through the fourth set thanks to an Ondishin Ribon kill off a Mackenzy Miller feed and an ace from Bukowski, Wettstone forcibly closed things out with a pair of kills that ended any hope of a Lancaster Bible comeback.
The deciding set was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Lions pull ahead 2-0 thanks to back-to-back kills from DeGregory and Wettstone before the home team charged ahead 4-3. With things tied 6-6, Penn State Harrisburg put together a game-changing 6-1 run in crunch time, capped by two straight Wettstone kills that made it 12-7. The Chargers pulled to within three late but Dos Santos sealed the thrilling victory with her fourth ace of the night.
NOTABLES
- With the victory, Penn State Harrisburg improved to 3-0 in five-set matches this season.
- Wettstone finished with 17.5 total points thanks to 16 kills and three block assists.
- Ondishin Ribon racked up 21 digs, eight kills and a pair of service aces.
- Mackenzy Miller tallied a season-high 27 assists and 13 digs.
- Dos Santos added four service aces and 11 digs.
- Jurney was excellent at the net, finishing with six total blocks.
- Bukowski chipped in with 17 digs and two aces.
WHO'S NEXT?
The Lions return to the friendly confines of the Capital Union Building for doubleheader action against St. Mary's (Md.) and McDaniel on Saturday afternoon.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube using the handle @pshbgathletics.
