Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NEWARK, DE – Sarah Smiley (Worthington, OH/Thomas Worthington) and Morgan Cerveny (Richfield, OH/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) continued their solid play with 29 and 21 kills, respectively, while Sarah Alman (Indiana/Indiana) had 80 assists as the IUP volleyball team scored wins over Concord and David & Elkins on the second day of the Wildcat Invitational at the University of Wilmington on Saturday. The Crimson Hawks finished off the invitational with a perfect 4-0 record, improving to 7-1 in the early season.

IUP defeated Concord 3-1 early in the morning before coming back with a 3-0 win over Davis & Elkins. The lost set to Concord was the only one of the weekend for the Crimson Hawks.

Concord got the best of the Crimson Hawks in the first set of the day with a 25-22 win. IUP fell behind 5-2 early before rallying to tie the score at 6-6 after a kill by Lauren Hester (State College, Pa. /State College). Concord responded with four straight points before the Crimson Hawks again rallied by scoring five of the next seven to cut their deficit to 12-11.

The Crimson Hawks hung close, tying the score late at 21-21 before Concord finished off the set on a 4-1 run.

IUP returned the favor in the second set, getting up 5-2 before Concord tied it at 6-6. Four straight points by IUP led to an 8-3 run by the Crimson Hawks as they took a 14-9 lead. Concord came back to tie the score at 16-all and would go ahead 18-17 until a kill by Cerveny helped IUP score eight of the final 11 points en route to a 25-21 win.

The third set was another back-and-forth battle, as a kill by Smiley broke a 20-20 tie before IUP went on top 24-21. Concord rallied to tie it at 24-24 but the Crimson Hawks later got back-to-back kills by Ellen Fordon (Chicago, IL/Lincoln-Way East) and Hester for a 27-25 victory. The fourth set was a little easier for the Crimson Hawks, as an 11-5 lead turned into a 20-14 advantage before the serving by Aubree Frye (Indiana/Indiana) helped IUP score five straight points to close out the match with a 25-16 win.

In the first set against Davis & Elkins, IUP got four early kills by Smiley to jump on top 9-3. Another batch of points by the Crimson Hawks made it 14-5 and later 18-6. Davis & Elkins would even it out but IUP finished the first set strong with a 25-12 win.

IUP led 6-4 in the second set before David & Elkins rattled off five straight points to take a 9-6 lead. The Crimson Hawks responded with the help of Smiley, as she scored three of IUP's next six points to take a 12-10 lead.

The Crimson Hawks took a 19-14 lead but Davis & Elkins went on a 5-0 run to tie the score at 19-19. After exchanging points, IUP finished with five straight points, getting the final one on a service ace from Elizabeth Sova (Myerstown, Pa. /ELCO) for a 25-20 win.

The third set was a little closer, even after IUP took a 15-10 lead. Davis & Elkins later used a 5-0 run to tie the score at 19-19 but IUP responded with five straight points of its own to grab a 24-19 lead. After a few points by Davis & Elkins made it a little closer, Smiley finished things off with a kill and a 25-22 win.

Smiley wrapped up the four-match weekend, the first action of her college career, with 51 kills on 98 attacks in IUP's four wins.

Cerveny had 11 of her 21 kills against Davis & Elkins while Alman notched 45 assists against Concord. Kelly Barnes (Inver Grove Heights, MN/Simley) finished with 34 digs on the day, with 21 coming against Concord while Hester added four aces on Saturday. Fordon added seven kills and three block assists against Davis & Elkins.

IUP is back in action next weekend as the Crimson Hawks host a PSAC/WVIAC crossover at the Kovalchick Complex and Memorial Field House on Friday and Saturday.

UPDATE: For her efforts, Sarah Smiley (Worthington, OH/Thomas Worthington) was one of 10 players named to the Wildcat Invitational All-Tournament Team.