GLENSIDE, Pa. – The Arcadia University women's volleyball team gutted out a five-set thriller over Marywood Wednesday evening to remain unbeaten at home, led by a career-high 23 kills from first-year Raegan Oursler. The Knights (9-2, 1-1 MAC Freedom) dropped the first set, 25-23, before taking the second, 32-30, and the third, 25-20. Marywood responded with a 27-25 win in the fourth set, but Arcadia secured the match with a 15-12 victory in the deciding fifth set.
Oursler led all players with 23 kills, while Bryana Saenz recorded a match-high five aces and 34 assists. Chana Rothschild added five blocks, and Avery Bell led the Knights with 13 digs. Arcadia hit .211 for the match, while Marywood hit .247, as the Knights secured their first MAC Freedom victory of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE: Marywood 25 – Arcadia 23
· Morgan Orsulak recorded the first kill for the Knights to give Arcadia an early 2-0 lead. Devon Young's kill and a solo block from Anna Keer pushed the lead to 4-1.
· Marywood answered with an 8-0 run before Oursler put down her first kill. Back-to-back kills from Mia Beckett and Young made it a 10-7 Pacers lead. A 5-1 run from the Knights, highlighted by three kills from Oursler, cut the deficit to 13-12.
· Despite kills from Orsulak, Young and Oursler, the Pacers extended their lead to 24-18. Oursler responded with three straight kills before a block from Chana Rothschild and Orsulak, followed by another kill from Oursler, made it 24-23 and forced Marywood to take a timeout.
· Out of the timeout, the Pacers secured the final point to take the first set, 25-23.
SET TWO: Marywood 30 – Arcadia 32
· Oursler's kill ended a 3-0 Marywood run before the Pacers added another 4-0 run. The Knights then rattled off six straight points, getting kills from Rothschild, Orsulak and Young before three straight aces from Rothschild tied the set at 7-7.
· Another kill from Young, followed by a solo block from Keer and a kill from Beckett, gave the Knights a 10-9 lead.
· Rothschild collected another kill before Saenz added a service ace. Rothschild's block sparked a 3-0 run that included another kill from the senior and a service ace from Oursler.
· Kills from Young and Rothschild pushed the lead to 18-16 before Marywood tied the set. The Knights answered with a 3-0 run featuring kills from Keer and Beckett to make it 21-18, but Marywood quickly responded with a 3-0 run of its own.
· The teams continued to trade points deep into the set, with both sides having opportunities to close it out. With the Knights trailing 30-29, Arcadia scored three straight points, capped by a kill from Oursler, to take the second set, 32-30, and even the match at one set apiece.
SET THREE: Marywood 20 – Arcadia 25
· With Marywood leading early, Rothschild and Keer recorded kills to cut into the deficit. Kills from Beckett and back-to-back kills from Orsulak made it a 10-9 Pacers lead.
· Rothschild's kill started a 4-1 run that tied the set at 13-13, with Young recording two kills and Beckett adding another during the stretch.
· The Knights took the lead behind a kill from Oursler, an ace from Bell and a block from Rothschild and Oursler.
· Marywood regained a 20-18 lead before the Knights closed the set on a 7-0 run, featuring kills from Oursler, Rothschild and Young, along with a block from Rothschild, to take the third set, 25-20.
SET FOUR: Marywood 27 – Arcadia 25
· Early kills from Oursler and Rothschild, along with another ace from Rothschild, gave the Knights a 5-2 lead. Kills from Keer and Beckett, followed by another ace from Saenz, pushed the advantage to 11-6.
· Marywood answered with a 4-0 run before kills from Oursler and Young helped Arcadia regain its momentum.
· With the Knights leading 19-15, Marywood rallied to tie the set at 19-19. Arcadia answered with a 4-0 run featuring two kills from Oursler, a kill from Rothschild, an ace from Saenz and a block from Oursler and Rothschild.
· Rothschild's kill put the Knights at match point, but Marywood fought back with a 4-0 run to take a 25-24 lead. Despite a kill from Orsulak to tie the set at 25-25, the Pacers secured the next two points to force a fifth set.
SET FIVE: Marywood 12 – Arcadia 15
· Two early kills from Beckett, aces from Bell and Saenz, and another kill from Oursler gave the Knights a 7-2 lead in the deciding set.
· Kills from Young, Oursler and Keer extended the Knights' lead to 10-6. Marywood answered with a 3-0 run before Keer and Oursler responded with kills.
· Leading 12-11, the Knights got back-to-back kills from Rothschild and Oursler before Rothschild put the exclamation point on the match with the final kill to give Arcadia the 15-12 victory.
KNIGHT LEADERS
Kills: Oursler (23), Rothschild (14), Young (12)
Aces: Saenz (5), Rothschild (4), Bell (3)
Blocks: Rothschild (5), Keer (2), Oursler (2)
Assists: Saenz (34), Kaitlyn Small (25), Bell (8)
Digs: Bell (13), Saenz (12), Oursler (12)
UP NEXT
The Knights head to Washington, D.C., to battle Gallaudet University on Friday evening. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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