ERIE, Pa. – The IUP women's volleyball team had just six attack errors on the night and recorded a straight-set victory at Mercyhurst on Friday night.
IUP (17-7, 7-3) took the match in set scores of 25-16, 25-11 and 25-22. In the sixth consecutive win against Mercyhurst (3-17, 1-8), IUP asserted itself in the second set and maintained the advantage in the victory.
It marked the third consecutive straight-set win for the Crimson Hawks, who entered the match with wins against Slippery Rock and California (Pa.), and the eighth of the season. IUP hit .329 for the match, adding 10.0 blocks and three aces in the win.
IUP hit a blistering .500 in the second set, using a fast start to pull ahead early. The Lakers battled back from a significant deficit in the third set, getting within 24-22 in the final frame.
Lauren Valentic recorded seven kills and four blocks on an .875 hitting percentage with
Delaney Concannon posting six more kills and a pair of aces.
Nyla Birch,
Caroline Walsh and
Simay Memisoglu added four kills apiece.
Bailey Flowerdew notched 11 digs and
Hannah Simmons paced the Hawks with 13 assists. Kate Hennessy launched a team-high 10 kills for Mercyhurst.
IUP weathered a storm from Mercyhurst, claiming the first set by a 25-16 margin. The Hawks jumped out to a 6-1 lead after a solo block from Concannon, moving ahead 13-10 on a block from Walsh. A 4-1 charge, spurred by two Mercyhurst serving errors, pushed IUP ahead 19-14.
Concannon delivered IUP's first ace of the set before
Grace Mangapora and
Simay Memisoglu delivered kills for a 25-16 victory.
In set two, IUP posted eight of 10 points early on for an 11-5 margin. Concannon placed down another ace in the charge before IUP zipped ahead 15-8 on a block from Birch. Out of a Mercyhurst timeout, IUP continued to press forward with consecutive kills from Valentic and an 18-10 lead. IUP continued to be a force at the net, maintaining a comfortable lead on its way to a 25-11 set triumph.
IUP continued rolling into the third set, posting the initial seven points of the stanza. Concannon laced her fifth kill of the night as IUP regained a double-digit lead in the set at 11-1. Mercyhurst made a run but IUP stayed in control, moving ahead 18-8 on a block from
Sara Boelkens.
The Lakers eventually trimmed the deficit to just five at 21-16, prompting an IUP timeout. Valentic's sixth kill of the match lifted the Hawks to a 23-19 advantage before closing the match with a kill.
Up Next
IUP visits division-leading Clarion on Tuesday, October 24 for a 6:00 p.m. first serve.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawks and @IUPVB.
