UNION, N.J. - After defeating No. 16 UW-Whitewater on Friday night, Penn State Harrisburg's women's volleyball team closed out the weekend in successful fashion on Saturday afternoon, taking a five-setter from Cortland in the final match after suffering a setback to (RV) Kean in the opening contest.
MATCH 1
The Lions (2-2) opened the day with a hard-fought loss to a Kean squad receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Top 25 Poll. Penn State Harrisburg was in each set but ultimately fell 27-25, 25-21, and 25-22.
Brianna Ondishin Ribon racked up a season-high 21 kills to go along with a dozen digs, while Kate Bukowski dug out 23 balls of her own. Mackenzy Miller tallied a season-best 31 assists and Abigail Frownfelter added 16 helpers and 11 digs. Camryn Wettstone reached double digit kills with 14, as did Nicole Dos Santos with 10. Tesia Oliva was strong at the net and finished with six total blocks.
MATCH 2
Penn State Harrisburg (3-2) finished off the weekend with a gutsy, five-set victory over Cortland in the team's final match of the afternoon. The Lions rebounded from a first-set loss to claim a thrilling 10-25, 29-27, 25-22, 22-25, 17-15 win.Â
Ondishin Ribon finished with 15 kills and 10 digs, while Wettstone tallied 14 kills of her own. Dos Santos had 14 kills and a dozen digs, while Emily Miller also added 10 kills. Mackenzy Miller assisted on 23 points and Frownfelter racked up 21 assists. Katelyn Chuang also had one of the best matches of her young career with 18 digs.Â
After the Lions dropped the opening set and took the next two, Cortland responded by winning the fourth to even things up and force a deciding fifth set. Penn State Harrisburg fell behind 4-0 to begin the set but used a 3-0 run capped by an Ondishin Ribon service ace to tie things up at 6-6. The Red Dragons appeared to be in the driver's seat when they pulled ahead 12-8 but the Lions roared back and scored six of the next seven to pull even at 13-13. Cortland led 15-14 and had a chance to end the match but Penn State Harrisburg rallied and scored the final three points to seal the memorable victory.
NOTABLES
- Ondishin Ribon racked up 36 total kills and 22 digs on the day.Â
- Mackenzy Miller tallied 54 assists across both matches.Â
- Wettstone had 28 kills on the day.Â
- Bukowski finished with 30 total digs.
- Dos Santos amassed a combined 24 kills and 20 digs.Â
- Frownfelter tallied 37 assists and five service aces.Â
WHO'S NEXT?
The tough schedule continues for the Lions when they travel to Franklin & Marshall for a tri-match on Saturday, Sept. 12. Penn State Harrisburg faces F&M at noon before finishing the day against Mary Washington.
STAY CONNECTED
Fans can keep up with Penn State Harrisburg Athletics all season long on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube using the handle @pshbgathletics.
