Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bucknell Volleyball Sweeps Lafayette for Second Straight Victory
10/1/2010 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Oct. 1, 2010
EASTON, Pa. - Bucknell volleyball opened October with its best performance of the season, taking a 3-0 sweep (25-14, 25-15, 33-31) over Lafayette at the Kirby Sports Center on Friday night. Katie Baumgarten (South Pasadena, Calif./South Pasadena) led the Bison in kills and digs to improve the team's record to 4-11 overall and 2-1 in the Patriot League.
The sweep was the first of the season for Bucknell. Each of the Bison's previous three wins had come in extra frames, including two that went the full five sets against Providence and Navy.
Bucknell's night started off quickly as the Orange and Blue claimed the first eight points of the night. Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) recorded three kills, Morgan Mientus (Chicago, Ill./Saint Ignatius College Prep) added another and Leylin Marroquin (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) served up an ace to contribute to Bucknell's 8-0 lead.
The Bison's advantage grew to 13 points at 20-17 on a block by Anne Ellenberger (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon Honors) and Kamp, giving Bucknell room to cruise to the end. Baumgarten recorded one of her eight kills on the night to give the Bison their first set point at 24-10. Lafayette (4-12, 0-3) then saved that point and three more as Alana Taylor posted a pair of kills and a block assist, but there was too much ground to cover for the Leopards. Ragin Jackson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) tallied a kill for the 25-14 win.
Bucknell out-hit Lafayette by a wide margin in the opening frame. The Bison capitalized on 11 of its 27 attempts and committed just two errors at the net, giving them a .333 attack percentage. The Leopards hit .000 with nine kills.
The second set went much the same way as the first with the Bison pulling ahead early. A kill by Jackson made it 12-4, and that lead only grew with a Lafayette attack error on the next point. A kill by Mientus held the advantage at eight a few points later before the Leopards tried a comeback. Three straight points brought them to 14-9 before Bucknell called timeout.
The Bison recovered out of the stoppage with three consecutive points of their own. Mientus re-opened play with yet another kill, and Ellenberger and Kamp teamed up for another block assist. Rachel Rodriguez (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) capped off the mini-run with one of three aces on the night, putting the score at 17-9.
With a cushion back in place, Bucknell easily closed out the second set by 10 points. Jackson put the Bison's final two points on the scoreboard with a pair of kills for 25-15.
As straight forward as the first two sets were, the third was equally complicated for Bucknell. The final frame saw 10 lead changes and 19 ties before the Bison finally sealed the deal at 33-31. Lafayette claimed its first lead of the night on a kill by Katrina Racibarskas for 3-2. That did not last long, however, as the Leopards committed a service error on the next point, and Emily Sawanobori (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) countered with an ace to put Bucknell back in front 4-3.
Despite seeing its best opportunities in the third set, Lafayette struggled to take advantage. Not until 13-11 did the Leopards take a multiple-point lead, but errors kept them from really taking control of play. Nowhere was that more apparent than in the final stretch. Kayly Elmer gave Lafayette its first of eight set points with a kill for 24-21, but the home team could not close the door. Baumgarten saved one set point with a kill, and the Leopards committed back-to-back errors to re-tie the set at 24 all.
Lafayette saw its final set point erased the same way as the first with a kill from Baumgarten for 29-29. Baumgarten then gave her team match points at 31-30 and 32-31 with her final kills. An attack error from Lafayette gave the Bison their final point and their second straight league victory.
Baumgarten led Bucknell with eight kills and set a career high with a team-best 12 digs, marking her first-ever double-figure production in the defensive category. The Bison also benefited from a well-rounded attack. Jackson finished with seven kills, while Mientus added six. Three Bison recorded nine digs, including Mientus, Sawanobori and Marroquin. Rodriguez and Kat Tauscher (Washington, D.C./National Cathedral School) shared the setting duties, posting 15 and 12 assists, respectively. Rodriguez also served a team-best three aces, followed by two apiece from Mientus and Sawanobori.
Taylor led Lafayette with 12 kills, while Molly Belcher finished with 28 assists. Christy Mebust and Mackenzie Larsen tallied double-digit digs.
Bucknell will play for its third straight league win tomorrow when it takes on Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa., at 4 p.m.
