Bucknell University
2-0,0-0Patriot
Gardner-Webb
1-1,0-0Big South
Volleyball Wins Five-Setter over Saint Francis, Defeats Gardner-Webb to Open Season 3-0
8/27/2022 10:54:00 PM | Volleyball
LORETTO, Pa. – The Bucknell volleyball team defeated both Gardner-Webb and Saint Francis at the Red Flash Classic on Saturday to open its season 3-0 for the first time since 2017. After sweeping the Runnin' Bulldogs in three sets earlier in the day, the Bison beat the hosting Red Flash in a thrilling five-set match Saturday night.
Bucknell had several big performers throughout the weekend, but perhaps most notable were the efforts of freshman Bri Frazilus and senior Lisa Zoch. Both ended up with double-doubles, as Frazilus posted 22 kills and 11 digs with a .514 hitting percentage in the early match, and Zoch led the team with 19 kills, 16 digs and a .359 percentage in the nightcap.
The Bison return to Davis Gym next weekend to host the Bucknell Invitational. George Washington, LIU and NJIT will each be in attendance, and Bucknell's first match is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2.
Bucknell 3, Saint Francis 2 (25-27, 25-17, 25-27, 25-19, 15-13)
Bucknell scored 25 points in each of the first four sets against the Red Flash, but it would take an extraordinary effort to seal the victory as the two teams clung to one another throughout the evening.
Saint Francis jumped out to a 17-13 lead midway through the first set using a 4-0 run before the Bucknell responded with its own run of four to gain set-point at 25-24. The Red Flash scored the next three in a row to win it 27-25.
The Bison saw a 6-1 run early in the second and maintained the lead the rest of the frame, hitting .393 and evening the match with a decisive 25-17 score.
Neither team led by more than three throughout the third, and after battling to a 25-25 tie, Saint Francis took a 2-1 advantage in the match following a kill and Bison attack error.
Similar to the second, Bucknell saw three 4-0 runs in the fourth set and never lost the lead while cruising to a 25-19 win. The set included two of Bucknell's five service aces as well as two of the team's eight blocks, helped by a pair of block assists from Jen Sivak.
The fifth-set drama was on par with the previous four frames as the teams continued to trade leads. The Bison fell behind 8-5 before evening the score at 9-9. Then trailing 12-10, three different Bison rattled off kills, and a Saint Francis attack error gave the Orange & Blue match-point. The Bison then relied on outstanding defense, including a series of diving efforts by senior Sandra Korusiewicz. Saint Francis would score once more before a Zoch kill sealed the match.
BISON WIN! 🔶🔷
— Bucknell Volleyball (@Bucknell_VB) August 28, 2022
What a match to cap a 3-0 weekend!#rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/lHILNd35nj
Junior Catherine Jamison joined Zoch in double figures with 12 kills on 21 total attempts and six errors, while Jordan Hardy posted a match-high 27 digs. Sivak ended up with three block assists and a block solo.
Bucknell 3, Gardner-Webb 0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-20)
Bucknell hit a weekend-best .259 in the first match of the day, bolstered by three players above .300.
Frazilus supplied seven kills in each of the first two sets, and Bucknell limited Gardner-Webb to just 17 points in the first. A 7-0 Bison run that included back-to-back service aces by Libby Nieporte put the Orange & Blue up 23-14 in the opening frame and helped lead to the 1-0 start.
The Runnin' Bulldogs built a 9-5 lead in the second set, but once again the Bison put together a 7-0 run that gave them a 15-10 advantage.
S2 | Bucknell 12, Gardner-Webb 10
— Bucknell Volleyball (@Bucknell_VB) August 27, 2022
After falling behind early, the Bison have rallied with a 7-1 run to take the lead.
Watch: https://t.co/0Xe3nqMhFy pic.twitter.com/ggztbRj8BW
Gardner-Webb evened things up at 19-19, but Nieporte's third ace of the match and kills by Frazilus and Valentina Feigl helped collect a narrow 25-23 win and a 2-0 lead in sets.
Bucknell never trailed in the third, and Gardner-Webb managed to tie it up just once at 16-16 following a 5-0 run in the middle of the frame. Frazilus added eight more kills to her total in the third, and Bucknell picked up the sweep with a 25-20 score in the set.
Jamison contributed nine kills to the Bison total, and freshman Caleigh O'Connell posted a match-high 36 assists.
