Volleyball Loses Home Opener to William & Mary

LEWISBURG, Pa. Despite Catherine Jamison's game-high 17 kills, the Bison were defeated in four sets (22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-19) by William & Mary to conclude the first day of the 2023 Bucknell Invitational. Bucknell tied up the game in the second period but was defeated in the final two sets.

Recap

William & Mary started the game on a 4-1 run before Bucknell counterattacked to go up 11-9, a maneuver driven by balanced offense and defense. Both teams battled back-and-forth before the Bison sneaked ahead 21-19. William & Mary squeezed in front on a 4-0 run. Kills by Bri Frazilus and Riley Tucker tied the game. A service error and a kill by Sarah Ramirez kept the game knotted up. Unfortunately, William & Mary went on a 3-0 run to grab the first set.

The Tribe raced ahead 6-3, but the Bison proved equal to the task of coming back by commencing a 12-5 run. Frazilus and Jamison combined for seven kills to power the Bison attack and grant Bucknell a lead they would not relinquish. William & Mary crept to within 19-16 before Bucknell used a 4-0 run to pull away for good. Frazilus continued her sensational period with two more kills during the stretch. The teams traded points, and then Sarah Ramirez finished the set with a kill.

The pattern of the Tribe jumping out to the lead continued in the third set. William & Mary raced out to a 6-2 lead. Bucknell tied up the game at 14-14 on two straight Jamison kills and then grabbed the 17-16 advantage on two Libby Nieporte kills. The Tribe used a 4-1 run to take the winning margin, a situation that would not change despite Bucknell's best efforts. Bucknell continued to trail by a point until an attack error gave the set to William & Mary.

For the fourth straight set, the Tribe stormed out of the gates, and this time, they did not allow Bucknell to regain the lead. William & Mary grabbed the 13-4 advantage before the Bison caught their breath and gained momentum via a 3-0 run. The Tribe was undaunted and used a 5-0 stretch to gain a decisive hold. Then the set turned into runs of 3-0. Bucknell had two, and William & Mary had one. With the score 23-14 in favor of the Tribe, the Orange & Blue embarked on a 5-1 run to breathe some life into Davis Gym. But an attack error gave the set and match to William & Mary.

Up Next

The Bison complete the Bucknell Invitational tomorrow by playing Cornell at 2 p.m. and Princeton at 7 p.m.

Next Event

Team Stats

Catherine Jamison

Bri Frazilus

Riley Tucker

Sidney Shaffer

Players Mentioned

Bri Frazilus

Catherine Jamison

Libby Nieporte

Sarah Ramirez

Riley Tucker