Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Landes Leads Bucknell Volleyball to 3-0 Sweep Over Lafayette
10/16/2009 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 16, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell volleyball put together the match it had been looking for this year, taking early control in a 3-0 win (25-23, 25-23, 25-17) over Lafayette in Davis Gym on Friday night. The Bison (7-11, 3-3) got contributions from nearly everyone on the team as they swept the Leopards (11-8, 2-4) on Think Pink Night.
Jackie Landes (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Wildwood School) had the strongest performance of her career and helped the Bison to get off to a quick start on a night dedicated to promoting breast cancer awareness. Bucknell started off with four unanswered points in part due to a pair of kills by Ragin Jackson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and a kill from Landes. Landes threw in her second kill a few points later for 5-2.
Although momentum started squarely in Bucknell's favor, things took a sharp turn as Lafayette got a handle on the set. Fiorella Bellini tied the first set at 7-7, and the teams went back and forth over the next several points, never able to create a large advantage. The Leopards eventually rattled off four straight kills for a 15-12 lead, forcing a Bucknell timeout.
That momentum did not last long for Lafayette and soon some Leopard errors and strong play at the net by Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) put the lead back in Bucknell's hands at 18-17. Bucknell looked like it would ride the wave to the finish, but Lafayette was not planning on going down that easily. The Leopards tied it again at 22 apiece before Landes registered back-to-back kills to earn set point. The Bison finally closed it out at 25-23.
The second set was nearly identical to the first with Bucknell running out to an early advantage. Emily Sawanobori (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) kicked things off with a service ace and the Bison were soon ahead 6-1. That lead was eventually extended to 17-7 before Lafayette got its teeth into the contest. The Leopards went on an 8-1 run to reestablish their presence. Landes and Kamp then put a stop to their opponent's streak with back-to-back kills for 20-15.
For the second straight set, Landes gave Bucknell a set point, this time on a block solo, but the Bison struggled to seal the deal. Lafayette took the next five points and, at 24-23, it looked as though it might even the match at a set apiece. Landes stepped in, however, and ended the second with a score of 25-23 for a second time.
Bison fans could breathe easier in the final set as Bucknell had a much smoother road to the finish. Although the Orange and Blue found themselves trailing at 7-6, a group effort righted the situation and put them back on top. Anne Ellenberger (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon Honors) tied it at seven with one of her four kills on the night and put the service game in Kaitlin Segal's (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Harvard Westlake) hands. Segal earned eight points on her serve, including three aces during that stretch. That run took the wind out of Lafayette's sails and it never recovered. Bucknell took the relatively easy victory 25-17 to close the match and even its Patriot League record at 3-3.
Landes ended the night with a career-high 10 kills and a .310 attack percentage, prompting head coach Cindy Opalski to call her one of the Bison's bright spots offensively. The Bison's defense also played a major role in the win.
"Clearly our blocking game was really strong tonight," said Opalski. "We finished with eight total blocks, which was more than double Lafayette. That blocking is more important than anything else because if we can slow down balls and make it easier for our people, we're going to have success."
Opalski was also very pleased with the defensive play of Sawanobori, Segal and Rachel Rodriguez (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit). The trio finished with double-digit digs with Sawanobori leading the way with a dozen. Segal and Rodriguez added 11 and 10, respectively.
Joining Landes with success at the net were Segal with nine kills and Kamp with seven kills and four blocks. Allison Gittings (Dayton, Md./Glenelg) had a very strong match, chipping in 30 assists, two kills and two block assists. Segal and Kamp each served a match-best three aces.
Bucknell will try to keep up the success when it hosts Lehigh tomorrow at 5 p.m. in Davis Gym. The Bison are hosting Empowering Everyone's Kids (EEK) Night, a campaign aimed at encouraging local youth to become more involved in volleyball and providing student-athletes with mentoring and leadership opportunities. Live stats on GameTracker will be available at BucknellBison.com.
