INDIANA, PA – Lauren Hester (State College, Pa. /State College) and Elizabeth Sova (Myerstown, Pa. /ELCO) each had double-digit kills but a strong team performance by Clarion was too much as IUP fell to the Golden Eagles in straight sets on Tuesday night at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
Clarion won by scores of 25-17, 25-19 and 25-21 in a match that included 14 ties and seven lead changes.
 
Hester had a match-high 11 kills in 29 attempts on the night, adding a pair of service aces and six digs. Sova had 10 kills on 27 attacks to go along with a block assist.
 
The closest set of the evening was the final one, as IUP held six different leads and held a 13-12 advantage before a serving error keyed a 5-0 Clarion run to put the Golden Eagles ahead 17-13. The Crimson Hawks narrowed the gap to two at 17-15 but four straight points by the Golden Eagles gave them a 21-15 lead. IUP got it back to two at 23-21, but Clarion closed out the match with back-to-back points.
 
IUP falls to 9-16 overall and 5-13 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. Clarion improved to 26-2 overall and 17-1 in conference play.
 
The Crimson Hawks are on the road for a pair this weekend, traveling to Erie to face Gannon on Friday night and Mercyhurst on Saturday afternoon.