Bucknell University
Stony Brook
Tauscher Named All-Tournament, but Bison Fall Twice at Bucknell Volleyball Invite
9/17/2011 8:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 17, 2011
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Kat Tauscher (Washington, D.C./National Cathedral School) was named to the All-Tournament Team, but the Bison couldn't avoid a pair of losses on the final day of the Bucknell Invitational at Davis Gym on Saturday. Bucknell (3-6) nearly came back from a two-set deficit before falling 3-2 to Stony Brook. The home team later faced a tough test in undefeated Bowling Green, losing in straight sets.
After three matches this weekend, Tauscher had tallied 89 assists for a 7.42 per set average. The junior also had six kills, three blocks, 18 digs and two service aces. It was her second consecutive weekend of being named to an all-tournament squad. Joining her on the all-tournament team were Kari Galen and Laura Avila of Bowling Green, Alicia Nelson and Laura Hathaway of Stony Brook and Ariel Richard of Coppin State.
Bucknell staged a comeback in more ways than one against Stony Brook (5-7). The Bison and Seawolves met last week at the Blue Devil Invitational with Stony Brook taking a 3-0 win. Bucknell gave its opponent a run for its money this weekend. Although the Seawolves took a two-set lead after winning the first frames 25-19 and 25-15, Bucknell evened the match by winning the third set 25-20 and the fourth by a score of 25-19.
The major swing in momentum for the Bison came at the end of the third set when they closed out play with a 9-0 run. After trailing 20-16, Leylin Marroquin (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) served out the set. Included in the stretch were two service aces from the Bison sophomore.
In the fourth set, Jessica Serrato (Millbrae, Calif./St. Ignatius College Prep) connected for a kill that gave Bucknell an 8-7 advantage. The Bison led the entire rest of the way, pushing the Seawolves to a fifth set for their second consecutive match.
Stony Brook had defeated Coppin State 3-2 in their first match of the day, coming back from a two-set deficit of its own. Bucknell looked as if it would give Stony Brook a taste of its own medicine in the final frame, as it took a 7-4 lead on a service ace from Anne Ellenberger (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon Honors). The Seawolves claimed eight of the next nine points, however. Their own late run pushed them over the edge, giving them their second win of the day with a 15-10 decision in the fifth.
Serrato closed out the match with a double-double of 12 kills and 19 digs. It was Morgan Mientus (Chicago, Ill./St. Ignatius College Prep) that led the Bison in kills with 15, while Marroquin had a squad-best 27 digs. Tauscher tallied 42 assists.
Bucknell tried to get a second comeback in the works when it took on Bowling Green (12-0) later in the day. The Falcons won the opening set easily, 25-12, while recording an attack percentage of .556 (16-1-27). A new Bison team came out in the second, however, and gave the Falcons a run for their money. Bucknell held a slim lead through much of play, even working their way to a 21-15 advantage. Bowling Green then took seven of the next eight points to tie the set at 22-22.
Both teams battled to become the first to string together multiple points. Bucknell failed to convert on three set points, and Bowling Green took advantage. The Falcons took a two-set lead with the 28-26 decision after back-to-back Bison attack errors ended the frame.
The second set was the closest Bowling Green came to losing a set at the Bucknell Invitational. The Falcons maintained their undefeated record for the fall without dropping a set in three matches.
The Bison continued to try to make a match of it in the third, but the Falcons proved to be too strong. Bucknell tied the set at 14 apiece. A 7-3 for Bowling Green put the visitors firmly in the lead and, although Mientus saved one match for the Bison with a kill, Bucknell could not avoid the straight-sets loss, 25-20 in the third.
Mientus' nine kills against Bowling Green was a team high. Rose Lewis (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara) led in assists with a career-best 14, while Morgan Markarian (Los Angeles, Calif./Marymount) added nine digs.
Bucknell will now look toward Patriot League play, which gets underway next weekend. The Bison open at American at 7 p.m. on Sept. 24, then heads to Navy for a 4 p.m. matchup on Sept. 25.
