WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Arcadia University women's volleyball team opened the Worthington Classic with a straight-set victory over host Gallaudet University Friday evening. The Knights (10-2, 1-1 MAC Freedom) handled the Bison, 25-15, 25-19, 25-19, to earn their 10th win of the season.
Devon Young led the Knights offensively with 10 kills, while Raegan Oursler recorded three aces, Anna Keer added four blocks, Bryana Saenz dished out 18 assists, and Avery Bell posted a season-high 26 digs. As a team, Arcadia hit .211 while holding Gallaudet to a .065 hitting percentage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE: Arcadia 25 – Gallaudet 15
· Raegan Oursler and Devon Young recorded the first two kills for the Knights before Morgan Orsulak and Anna Keer teamed up for a block to give Arcadia a 3-2 lead.
· Oursler's kill tied the set at 7-7 before the teams continued to trade runs, including a kill and an ace from Cam Wertz and an ace from Orsulak.
· With the Bison leading 12-11, the Knights went on a 6-0 run featuring four kills from Young and two from Mia Beckett. After a Gallaudet kill, Arcadia answered with a block from Keer and two kills from Oursler to extend its lead.
· Beckett recorded the final kill of the set to help the Knights close out a 25-15 victory.
SET TWO: Arcadia 25 – Gallaudet 19
· After an early kill from the Bison, the Knights answered with a 5-0 run featuring a kill and an ace from Oursler, along with kills from Young and Wertz.
· A kill from Young was followed by back-to-back blocks from Keer and Beckett and a solo block from Oursler as the Knights doubled up the Bison, 10-5. Kills from Beckett and Wertz, followed by another ace from Oursler, pushed the lead to 14-8.
· Gallaudet answered with an 8-3 run to cut the deficit to 17-16, but kills from Beckett and Keer extended the Knights' lead to 21-18. After a Bison kill, Arcadia closed the set on a 4-0 run, featuring kills from Oursler and Julia Archelle before Oursler delivered an ace for the final point.
SET THREE: Arcadia 25 – Gallaudet 19
· Archelle's kill started a 4-0 run with the Knights trailing by two early in the third set. The run also featured kills from Young and Maddie Gavin Ruple. Arcadia then used a 5-0 run, highlighted by two more kills from Young and a block from Keer and Archelle, to take a 9-3 lead.
· Beckett recorded three consecutive kills for the Knights before Archelle and Gavin Ruple added back-to-back kills to extend the lead to 17-10.
· The Bison attempted to rally with an 8-2 run to cut Arcadia's lead to 19-18, but the Knights closed out the set and match with a pair of 3-0 runs. The first featured back-to-back kills from Katie Grimm and a block from Grimm and Alexandria Coleman. The final run included an ace from Bell before Beckett recorded the match-clinching kill.
KNIGHT LEADERS
Kills: Young (10), Beckett (9), Oursler (7)
Aces: Oursler (3), Bell (1), Wertz (1)
Blocks: Keer (4), Archelle (1), Beckett (1)
Assists: Saenz (18), Kaitlyn Small (12), Bell (4)
Digs: Bell (26), Saenz (10), Oursler (8)
UP NEXT
The Knights wrap up the Worthington Classic with a pair of matches Saturday. Arcadia faces Eastern at 12 p.m. before taking on Mount Union at 2 p.m.
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