Bucknell University
12-8,5-6Patriot
Lehigh
12-10,3-7Patriot
Volleyball Drops Five-Set Match at Lehigh
10/22/2022 10:44:00 PM | Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bucknell volleyball went all five sets for a second day in a row but fell 3-2 on the road at Lehigh to split its weekend matches. Bucknell (12-8, 5-6 PL) carried a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set after winning both the second and the third, but the Mountain Hawks held the advantage throughout most of the final two frames.
Bucknell struggled to a .120 hitting percentage for the match while Lehigh hit .254, and the Mountain Hawks put together a dominant performance at the net with 17 blocks. Bucknell finished with a 9-5 advantage in service aces, including four from Valentina Feigl. Feigl also added seven kills and four digs in a well-rounded performance.
For a second straight evening Catherine Jamison and Bri Frazilus led the team in kills, posting 16 and 14, respectively. Jordan Hardy supplied 22 digs.
The Bison struggled out of the gates, hitting just -.023 in the opening frame with 11 attack errors and just 10 kills. The Mountain Hawks went on two separate 4-0 runs to gain separation, holding leads as large as seven points on several occasions before winning it 25-18.
In set two, the Bison responded from an early 5-0 Lehigh run that gave them a 10-6 deficit to make up. Trailing 15-14, Bucknell rattled off six of the next seven points to grab the lead and scored the final three points of the set to win it 25-20 and even the match at 1-1. Jamison provided five kills on 10 attacks and no errors in the second.
Bucknell's .222 hitting percentage in the third was its best of the match. The teams traded leads four times, and Lehigh used a 6-0 run at one point to grab a 12-7 advantage. Bucknell's 7-1 run later in the third erased the deficit, and the Bison led the rest of the way.
Bucknell recovered from another long Lehigh run in the fourth after falling behind 9-2 and jumped in front just once at 16-15, but the Mountain Hawks began to catch fire. They posted six of their 17 blocks in the fourth and hit .267 on the way to a 25-22 win that forced set five.
Lehigh's .421 hitting percentage in the fifth was its highest of the match as Bucknell had few answers for the home team's eight kills on 19 attacks. Bucknell totaled six points in the fifth off a Lehigh service error and five kills from four different Bison. The Mountain Hawks cruised to a 15-6 win, claiming each of the last five points in a row.
Bucknell remains on the road next weekend for matches at Holy Cross and Colgate.
