GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Arcadia University women's volleyball team swept both opponents in a home tri-match on Saturday afternoon, earning 3-0 victories over Gwynedd Mercy University and Baruch College. The Knights (15-5, 1-2 MAC Freedom) opened the day with a dominant performance against the Griffins, winning 25-16, 25-7 and 25-10. Arcadia hit .315 for the match while holding Gwynedd Mercy to a -.148 hitting percentage. Raegan Oursler led the attack with 12 kills, Bryana Saenz recorded four aces and 16 assists, Chana Rothschild added four blocks, and Avery Bell finished with 14 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME ONE: Gwynedd Mercy 0 – Arcadia 3
SET ONE: Gwynedd Mercy 16 – Arcadia 25
- Early kills from Oursler, Rothschild and Morgan Orsulak helped the Knights tie the set at 3-3. A kill from Katie Grimm sparked a 3-0 run that included an ace from Kailyn Riggi and another kill from Grimm.
- Gwynedd Mercy responded with a 4-0 run to take a 9-6 lead, but an ace from Alliy Kulas helped Arcadia put together a 3-0 run to even the score at 9-9. A kill from Oursler and back-to-back aces from Saenz pushed the Knights ahead, 14-11.
- Arcadia followed with a 4-0 run sparked by a kill from Oursler and featuring an ace and a kill from Rothschild. After the Griffins answered with two straight points, the Knights closed the set with a 7-1 run. Grimm recorded two kills, Orsulak one and Hannah Sanchez added an ace, and Orsulak and Anna Keer teamed up for a block before Riggi served an ace to seal the 25-16 win.
SET TWO: Gwynedd Mercy 7 – Arcadia 25
- Oursler opened the set with a kill before Keer and Orsulak teamed up for a block. Grimm added a kill to make it 4-2, and the Knights followed with a 4-0 run that featured a kill from Kaitlyn Small, a block from Small and Keer, and an ace from Kulas.
- With Arcadia leading 10-5, the Knights extended their advantage with a 6-0 run that included two kills from Rothschild, a kill from Oursler and two aces from Saenz.
- Following a point from the Griffins, Arcadia put together an 8-0 run to take a commanding 24-6 lead. Baker recorded back-to-back kills, while Oursler and Grimm added kills. Rothschild also teamed up with Baker for a block before recording a solo block.
- Gwynedd Mercy ended the run with a service error, and Rothschild delivered the final kill to give Arcadia a 25-7 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
SET THREE: Gwynedd Mercy 10 – Arcadia 25
- Early kills from Rothschild and Oursler gave the Knights a 3-1 lead. A 3-0 run featuring two kills from Grimm and one from Kam Wertz extended the advantage to 8-4.
- Arcadia continued to pull away with a 9-0 run that included two kills from Wertz, four from Oursler and an ace from Kulas. Bell added a kill to make it 18-6 before another 4-0 run, featuring kills from Oursler and Kulas and a block from Oursler and Rothschild, pushed the Knights further ahead.
- The Griffins answered with two consecutive points, but Arcadia closed the match with a 3-0 run. Rothschild and Grimm recorded kills before Rothschild and Baker combined for the final block in the 25-10 win.
KNIGHT LEADERS
Kills: Oursler (12), Grimm (10), Rothschild (7)
Aces: Saenz (4), Kulas (3), Riggi (2)
Blocks: Rothschild (4), Keer (3), Baker (2)
Assists: Saenz (16), Small (11), Bell (7)
Digs: Bell (14), Kulas (9), Oursler (7)
The Knights carried their momentum into the final match of the day, sweeping Baruch College by scores of 25-18, 25-20 and 25-7. Arcadia hit .304 while holding the Bearcats to a .000 hitting percentage. Oursler led the way with 16 kills and two aces, Keer recorded three blocks, Saenz tallied 16 assists, and Bell led the defense with 17 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME TWO: Baruch 0 – Arcadia 3
SET ONE: Baruch 18 – Arcadia 25
- The Knights took advantage of early Baruch errors to build a 3-1 lead. Grimm recorded Arcadia's first kill, and an ace from Rothschild put the Knights ahead 5-4. After the Bearcats answered with a 4-0 run, Arcadia responded with a 4-0 run of its own, featuring two kills from Oursler and one each from Grimm and Keer.
- Small added a kill as the teams traded points before Oursler recorded back-to-back kills. Another kill from Oursler and one from Rothschild capped a 3-0 run for the Knights.
- Leading 18-15, Arcadia put together a 4-0 run featuring two kills from Grimm and one from Small. Oursler added another kill before a Baruch error helped the Knights secure the 25-18 win and take a 1-0 match lead.
SET TWO: Baruch 20 – Arcadia 25
- A kill and an ace from Oursler helped the Knights open the set with a 3-0 run, which Rothschild capped with a kill. Keer and Grimm then teamed up for a block to finish another 2-0 run.
- Three consecutive kills from Grimm and another from Small highlighted a 4-0 run that gave Arcadia a 9-3 advantage. Baruch responded with a 7-1 run to tie the set at 10-10, but the Knights answered with four straight points, including kills from Oursler and Keer and an ace from Bell.
- Kills from Oursler, Rothschild and Grimm helped Arcadia extend its lead to 17-14 before Keer and Orsulak teamed up for a block.
- Small's kill made it 21-17, but the Bearcats battled back with three consecutive points. Arcadia responded by closing the set with a 4-0 run featuring kills from Rothschild and Oursler before Bell delivered the final kill in the 25-20 victory.
SET THREE: Baruch 7 – Arcadia 25
- Arcadia opened the third set with a 4-0 run that included a kill from Rothschild and two from Oursler. The Knights followed with a 10-0 run featuring two kills and a solo block from Rothschild, an ace from Oursler and a kill from Orsulak to take a 14-2 lead.
- Another kill from Oursler and a block from Small and Keer extended the advantage to 18-4, and Oursler added another kill as the Knights continued to pull away.
- Leading 20-7, Arcadia closed the match with a 5-0 run featuring three kills from Rothschild and two from Oursler to complete the sweep with a 25-7 win.
KNIGHT LEADERS
Kills: Oursler (16), Rothschild (10), Grimm (9)
Aces: Oursler (2), Rothschild (1), Bell (1)
Blocks: Keer (3), Rothschild (1), Small (1)
Assists: Saenz (16), Small (15), Bell (7)
Digs: Bell (17), Riggi (7), Oursler (7)
UP NEXT
The Knights return to MAC Freedom play on Tuesday, traveling to Doylestown to face Delaware Valley University at 7 p.m.
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