Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Iona
Volleyball Off to Best Start Since 2005 with 3-0 Win Over Iona
9/6/2013 8:39:00 PM | Volleyball
ITHACA, N.Y. – The Bucknell volleyball team opened competition at the two-day Cornell Invitational on Friday evening with a 3-0 victory over Iona. It was the third straight win for the Bison, who at 3-1 are off to their best start since 2005. Bucknell won by scores of 25-18, 26-24, 25-21, and are now undefeated in both the first and third sets this year.
Morgan Mientus (Chicago, Ill./Saint Ignatius College Prep) posted a team-high eight kills for the Bison, while Bison Athlete of the Week Erika Eastley (Torrance, Calif./South Torrance) hit a match-best .556 as she recorded five kills in nine total chances and did not commit an error. Karen Campbell (Chesapeake, Va./Cape Henry Collegiate) led the squad with seven block assists. Meghan Wentzel (San Anselmo, Calif./The Branson School) recorded a season-high 16 assists, while Keane Brazda (Newton, Mass./Newton North) chipped in eight. Thirteen Bucknell players saw action in the match, while the Gaels only used eight.
The Bison, who are now 6-3 all-time against Iona (1-4), scored seven consecutive points midway through the first set to extend a 14-12 lead to a 21-12 advantage and jump out to the early 1-0 set lead.
Five straight points in the second set moved Bucknell from two points down (16-14) to a three-point advantage (19-16). The Bison never trailed again, although the Gaels did come back to tie the score at 22-22.
Bucknell needed a late comeback in the third set to win the match. In fact, the Bison registered the final seven points after trailing 21-18. Bucknell trailed by as many as five points earlier in the set.
The Bison's current three-match winning streak is the first for the program since the 2010 squad claimed four in a row midway through the campaign.
“We faced a good Iona team tonight,” said Bison first-year head coach Anna Allison. “They employed a fast-paced offense and we were able to adapt quickly. We have been working hard on playing as a team and we saw great results tonight. The plan is to carry out the same effort in both matches tomorrow.”
Bucknell will wrap up play at the Cornell Invitational on Saturday. The Bison will face Buffalo at 1:30 p.m. and the host Big Red at 4 p.m.
