Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Rider (La Salle Tournament)
Bucknell Volleyball Downs La Salle, 3-2, and Drops 3-1 Decision to Rider on Final Day of La Salle Invitational
9/3/2006 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 2, 2006
Box Score vs. Rider
Box Score vs. La Salle
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The Bucknell volleyball team closed out its trip to the La Salle Invitational with a 3-2 win over the host Explorers on Saturday evening after dropping a 3-1 decision to Rider in its first match of the day. With the split, the Orange and Blue moved to 2-5 on the year, while La Salle's record evened at 3-3 and the Broncs moved to 1-5.
After setting a new Bucknell record for digs in a match with 40 against Rider, senior Kristen Sydlowski (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) earned All-Tournament team honors, averaging 5.71 digs per game and 0.53 service aces per game over the squad's four tournament matches.
Junior Jenna Henderson (Elk Grove, Calif./Laguna Creek) led the Bison with 19 kills in the victory over La Salle while also contributing 22 digs for her second double-double of the season. Sophomore Emilie Hardinge (Darien, Conn./Darien) followed with 12 kills, senior Sarah Groman (Hollister, Calif./San Benito) chipped in 10 kills and six block assists, while senior Jennie Smith (Roanoke, Va./Patrick Henry) added eight block assists. Sophomore Shannon Pitsch (Oak Brook, Ill./Fenwick) aided the offense with 43 assists along with her seven digs and Sydlowski tallied match-bests with 29 digs and three service aces.
For the Explorers, Erin Sullivan posted a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs, as did Caitlin Conner with 38 assists and 12 digs. Christa Dominick added 12 kills, Stephanie Owen recorded 10 kills, Carolyn Judge led the squad with 28 digs and Danielle DiMarco had 10 digs.
The teams battled in game one until, with the score tied at 17, Bucknell managed to steadily build a five-point lead, which would hold up for a 30-25 win. However, the Explorers rebounded with a 30-22 victory in game two to even the match score at one.
Then in game three, a block by Smith and Groman forced a La Salle timeout with the Bison in front by a 28-25 margin. Despite an attack error by the Orange and Blue on the following play, Bucknell held on to take the game, 30-26 after a kill by Hardinge and a La Salle error.
With both squads even at 11 points apiece in game four, the Explorers opened up for an 8-1 run, which helped them cruise to a 30-22 win and force a deciding game five.
In the fifth game, the Bison led from the outset after a La Salle ball handling error and iced the match with a kill by Groman for a 15-12 victory.
"We really played well against La Salle and finally stepped up and played our game," said Bison head coach Cindy Opalski following the team's final match of the tournament. `We're getting in a good rhythm. I think we still have some work to do, we clearly have some consistency factors that we need to work on, but today was the first time this season that we've really put all the pieces together and played up to our potential."
In Bucknell's earlier match against Rider, Henderson and Hardinge paced the squad with 20 kills apiece, with Hardinge setting a new career high. Groman followed with 10 kills and Pitsch, for a second-straight day, upped her career best in assists with 58. Defensively for the Bison, behind Sydlowski's record-setting digs performance, freshman Rachel Freeman (San Mateo, Calif./San Mateo) totaled 12 digs, Henderson nine and Pitsch eight.
For the Broncs, Megan Smith headed up the offense with 22 kills while Katrina Stehle and Lacey Johnson added 14 and 12 kills, respectively. Johnson also posted 14 digs for a double-double and Katrina Stehle managed a double-double with 44 assists and 16 digs. Nastasja Avramovic led Rider with 19 digs.
In game one, the Broncs tied the score at 30 and took the lead on consecutive kills by Johnson before securing a 30-32 win on a kill by Alex Chapla.
Then in game two, with the score tied at nine, Bucknell went on a 7-0 run and held off Rider for a 30-21 win. However, the Broncs responded with a 30-26 victory in game three and captured game five, 32-30, as Megan Smith recorded three kills for the final three points in the frame to clinch the match.
The Bison return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 5, when the squad will play host to West Chester in its 2006 home opener at 7 p.m. in Davis Gym.
