WESTMINSTER, Md. - The McDaniel College volleyball team used timely offense and strong defense to post a four-set win over Penn State Berks Tuesday inside the Gill Center, 25-16, 25-23, 20-25, 25-17.
The Green Terror (7-3) totaled 46 digs and 21 blocks to pick up their seventh win of the season and fourth at home. Eight different players had at least one dig while eight had at least one block. The team also recorded 12 service aces.
Sophomore
Mariya Carson had 10 kills and five blocks, sophomore
Kaitlyn Saidat had a season-high 10 kills and four blocks, and senior
Abigayle Bowley totaled seven kills and a team-high six blocks. First-year
Annika Cortez had a team-high 11 kills and six digs.
Junior
Cassy Poteet finished with 40 assists, three service aces, and seven digs. Junior
Stephanie Buttons totaled a team-high 15 digs. First-year
Arrian Spratt had also had three service aces to go along with six digs.
McDaniel scored first on a kill by Saidat and never trailed in a 25-16 first-set win. Cortez and Carson each had five kills.
Trailing 22-20 in the second set, the Green Terror scored five of the final six points to rally for a 25-23 victory. Bowley had back-to-back kills during the late push and Cortez put McDaniel ahead 24-23 before a Nittany Lion ball-handling error ended the set. The Green Terror also scored seven of eight points to erase a 7-6 deficit and build a 13-8 lead.
Penn State Berks (3-7) led 14-9 in the third set before a kill by Saidat, ace by Poteet, visitor attack error and kill by first-year
Hayden Haynes cut the deficit to 14-13. The Nittany Lions later built a 23-16 advantage and held off a late rally for a five-point win.
The fourth set featured four ties and two lead changes before a 6-0 run gave McDaniel a 17-10 advantage. The team finished the set on a kill by Carson off an assist from junior
Natalia Johnson.
The Green Terror open Centennial Conference play on Saturday with a 1 p.m. match on the road at Bryn Mawr.
