Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Bucknell Volleyball Battles, but Falls to Navy, 3-0
11/3/2007 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 3, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Jenna Henderson (Elk Grove, Calif./Laguna Creek) totaled 19 kills to help her break the program career record, but it was not enough as Bucknell fell to Navy, 3-0, on Saturday evening in Davis Gym. The loss leaves the Bison at 11-16 on the season, 4-8 in the Patriot League, while the Midshipmen move to 18-11, 6-6 in league matches.
Bucknell used a 6-0 run early in game one to pull in front, 11-4, but Navy responded by chipping away at its deficit, eventually tying the score at 16. After trailing for a stretch, the Bison used three straight points to climb ahead, 30-29, but two errors on the next three points by the Orange and Blue gave the Midshipmen a 32-30 victory.
Navy led by as many as six in game two before Bucknell managed to steadily close the gap and overtook the Mids at 29-28 after logging four consecutive points. That would be all for the Bison in the frame, however, as Navy escaped defeat by once again taking the final three points of the set to post a 31-29 win.
The squads played close from start to finish in game three. Bucknell fought back from a late three-point deficit at 29-26, to tie the score, but the Mids used a kill by Rachel Dougherty and a service ace by Alexa Gibbs to seal the match with a 31-29 decision.
Henderson hit .395 for the Orange and Blue with her 19 kills coming with just four errors on 38 attempts, while also contributing 13 digs for a double-double. With a total of 1,386, Henderson now holds Bucknell's career kills record, breaking the previous mark of 1,377 set by 1998 graduate Melissa Wharton.
Behind Henderson, freshman Heidi Kamp (Springfield, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) and junior Emilie Hardinge (Darien, Conn./Darien) followed with nine kills apiece on the night. Hardinge added 13 digs, which trailed only her classmate Sheena Czipri's (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) total of 18. Setters Shannon Pitsch (Oak Brook, Ill./Fenwick) and Allison Gittings (Dayton, Md./Glenelg) chipped in with 33 and 11 assists, respectively.
For Navy, Dougherty led the attack with 22 kills and hit .362 (22-5-47). Jessie Sims posted a double-double with 17 kills and 16 digs and Gibbs added 11 kills, three service aces and five block assists. Aimee' Burns finished with 15 digs, Marissa Watson compiled 50 assists and 12 digs and Meredith Biri had 10 digs.
Bucknell will next travel to West Point, N.Y., on Saturday, Nov. 10, to take on Army in a Patriot League match that is set to begin at 4 p.m.
