Bucknell University
7-16,3-11Patriot
Lehigh
7-18,3-11Patriot
Volleyball Downs Lehigh 3-2 in Davis Gym on Senior Night
11/5/2021 11:01:00 PM | Volleyball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell volleyball team hosted Lehigh for its final home match of the season on Friday night and won 3-2 (15-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 15-10), snapping a seven-match losing streak against the Mountain Hawks. Three players posted double-digit kills, and rookie libero Jordan Hardy supplied a career-high 38 digs in the victory.
The Bison rallied after losing by double digits in set one, and the next three sets were decided by three points or fewer. Bucknell ended the fifth set on a 4-0 run to seal the match and earn the third Patriot League win of the season.
It was also Senior Night at Davis Gym, as the team celebrated the careers of four graduating Bison. Fittingly, senior Jennie Burke led the team with 15 kills and a .250 hitting percentage, adding eight digs, three block assists and a service ace as well. Junior Lisa Zoch posted 15 kills also while maintaining a .282 hitting percentage, and sophomore Libby Nieporte chipped in with 13 kills.
Hardy, whose 38 digs were six shy of Bucknell's single-match record, was joined in double figures by junior Sandra Korusiewicz (11 digs) and rookie Amanda Tesserot (10 digs).
"I thought everyone contributed tonight. We had a lot of players get in and contribute to some big points, so it was nice to see everyone come together," said head coach Tyler Hagstrom. "I felt like the bench was awesome with their energy, and the fans got really into it. After set one we got into a little bit of a rhythm, and that allowed us to play a little bit more freely, which was really nice to see."
After a solid start to the first set, Bucknell fell behind when Lehigh used a 5-0 run to go ahead 21-12. The Bison squeaked out just three more points in the opening frame as the Mountain Hawks hit .455 with just two errors to create the largest margin of victory in the match. Bucknell settled down after that, and the rest of the match would be a back-and-forth battle with 12 total lead changes and 26 tie scores.
Bucknell jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second, but momentum continued to swing as the set saw several 4-0 runs by each team. The Bison led 15-13 before Lehigh took their first lead of the set at 17-15. The Mountain Hawks were able to string together back-to-back points just once more, and Bucknell evened the match with a 25-22 win.
Seven of the matches 12 lead changes came in set three, and the teams were tied at 14-14 until Lehigh created some separation at 21-17. The Bison racked up six of the next nine points to threaten Lehigh down the stretch at 24-23, but Bucknell would ultimately lose the set and faced defeat trailing 2-1 in the match. Bucknell posted a combined 16 attack errors in sets two and three while Lehigh totaled 14.
The Mountain Hawks scored the first three points in set four, but a service error killed the momentum as Bucknell came back to tie it up at 4-4. Still, Lehigh remained in control and went up 19-14 with a chance at ending the match. A 7-2 Bison run that included two kills each for Burke and Nieporte tied the frame at 21-21, and Bucknell scored four of the final five points to force a fifth set. It was Bucknell's fourth five-setter of the season and its second in Patriot League play this season.
The Bison looked their sharpest in the final set, hitting .267 and posting two of their four blocks. Lehigh led 3-1 early on, but Bucknell took the lead at 4-3 and wouldn't surrender it again before the match was over. Bucknell's final 4-0 run was capped by a Burke kill that brought the evening to its conclusion.
As a team, the Bison posted 101 digs on the night. Sophomore setter Sarah Ramirez totaled 43 assists, and senior Emma Buchanan finished with one block assist and the only block solo of the match for the Bison. Ramirez and Nieporte were also one dig away from ending up in double figures in the category.
"There have been a lot of points in the season where we've played well but not as consistently as we needed. We've been talking all week about doing and not just saying. I felt like we earned that victory. It was nice to see us go out and take it," said Hagstrom.
In addition to Burke and Buchanan, the Bison honored the careers of seniors Angela Pieroni and Vittoria Sottani.
"I think all the seniors have been fantastic in adding to the culture of pushing and being competitive and getting after it. All of them have helped in starting this thing off in my first real season. They've been great with the work ethic and their commitment to the team," said Hagstrom.
Bucknell heads to Lafayette Sunday for a 2 p.m. match in Easton, Pa. The season concludes with a road match at Loyola (Md.) on Friday, Nov. 12.
