Box Score

CLARION, PA – Heading into the final stretch of the regular season, the IUP women's volleyball team headed to Clarion Tuesday evening, falling to the conference-leading Golden Eagles in straight sets.

With only one loss on the season, the Golden Eagles are dominating the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Crimson Hawks were coming off a 3-2 comeback victory over Seton Hill, having won six of their last nine contests.

It proved to be all Clarion in the match, however, as the Golden Eagles won 25-20, 25-16, 25-13.

In the first set, IUP kept up, never allowing more than a seven point lead. With Clarion leading 21-14 late in the set, the Crimson Hawks stormed back, scoring six of the next nine points to get within five points. The Golden Eagles, however, would close out the set on a service error.

Lisa Kissell (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Salem) led the way for the Crimson Hawks in the first set, recording five kills. Ericka Lentz (Reading/Holy Name), Stephanie Kruzynski (Oxford/Oxford) and Elizabeth Sova (Myerstown, Pa. /ELCO) each had two.

Clarion showed their dominance in the second set, getting out to an early 5-2 lead. The Crimson Hawks scored three unanswered points and were able to tie it at 5-5, but Clarion did not give up, going on a 7-1 run and regaining the six-point lead.

After an IUP timeout, the team responded, scoring seven of the next 10 points and pulling within two points of Clarion's lead. Unfortunately for the Crimson Hawks, they were not able to keep up the momentum, as Clarion scored 11 of the final 14 points and claimed the 25-16 victory.

Kruzynski recorded four kills for the Crimson Hawks, followed by Sova with two and Lentz and Kaitlyn Palmer (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) with one apiece.

It was much of the same in the third set, with the Golden Eagles dominating in every aspect. IUP kept up early, as Clarion held on to a 5-4 lead. Going on to score seven unanswered points, the Golden Eagles never allowed IUP to get within more than eight points of their lead.

Kissell finished out the match with seven kills to lead the team. Kruzynski finished with six, followed by Sova who recorded five kills and a service ace.

The Crimson Hawks were only able to register 27 kills on 110 total attacks in the match.

Looking to rebound, IUP will begin a two-game homestand in which they will host Mercyhurst and Gannon. The Lakers come to the Kovalchick Complex Friday and 7 p.m. and the Golden Knights will following, with things set to get underway Saturday at 5 p.m.