Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Navy
Volleyball Goes to Fifth Set with Navy for Second Time this Season, Falls 3-2
10/31/2014 10:50:00 PM | Volleyball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell pushed Navy to five sets for the second time this season, but the Mids came out on top again with a 3-2 win on Friday night at Davis Gym. The Bison fell by scores of 26-28, 25-18, 25-14, 26-28 and 15-11.
It was the second straight five-set loss and the fourth of the season for the Bison, who dropped to 4-16 overall and 3-9 in the conference. The Mids bolstered their chances at qualifying for the Patriot League Tournament, moving into third place in the standings at 11-9 overall and 8-3 in the league.
“It's awesome to see how much heart we play with. Our women don't give up,” Bucknell head coach Anna Allison said. “That's something we have been working on and talking to them about, playing as a team. I think our defense is a testament to that. We cover for each other and we are there for each other, but we need to get better. We need to get better when there is pressure, when the score is really tight and in the high 20s. That can be a sign of a young team, but it is something we need to get better at.”
Karen Campbell had a solid night for Bucknell, recording a team-high 15 kills with a .333 hitting percentage. She also added three blocks, including two solo. Jordan Walker contributed 10 kills and one of the team's four service aces, Hailey Stout tallied nine kills, and Kristen Parks led the team with 37 digs.
Meghan Wentzel and Luz Nagle shared setting duties for Bucknell, finishing with 22 and 11 assists, respectively. Nagle was one of three freshmen to start the match for the Bison.
Rachel Fortner played a great all-around match for Navy, finishing with 11 kills, 17 assists and 16 digs. Maggie Phillips led the Mids with 18 kills, Star Steele registered 40 assists and Alli Graf was tops on the team with 32 digs.
Like they often have this season, Bucknell started strong with a 28-26 victory in the first set. The Bison went up 27-26 with one of Erika Eastley's four kills in the set and scored the final point on an attack error by Navy.
Following lopsided wins by Navy in sets two and three, Bucknell came alive again in the fourth set, jumping out to a 15-6 lead. The Mids inched their way back into the match before staving off set point with a kill by Phillips and an ace by Fortner to tie the score at 24-24. Eventually, Walker came through for the Bison with a kill and Eastley delivered a solo block to tie the match score at 2-2.
The fifth set was a battle early on as the Bison scored three straight points, including an ace by Hana Sawanobori to tie the score at 10-10. But the Mids scored five of the final six points to clinch the match.
Bucknell is back home on Saturday when it hosts conference unbeaten American. The match, which will air on Bison Vision on the Patriot League Network, is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.
