INDIANA, Pa. – In its final regular season home match of 2023, the IUP women's volleyball showed resolve and grit, ultimately falling in four sets to a determined Gannon side on Saturday afternoon. Set scores in the conference matchup were 15-25, 27-25, 21-25, 25-27.
IUP (20-8, 10-4) had its even-match winning streak come to a close on Saturday in an evenly-played contest. Gannon (22-3, 13-1) continued its path to the top seed in the PSAC West with the team's 13th consecutive victory, using a slight edge in aces and some late heroics to secure the victory.
GU posted eight service aces on the night and held IUP in check in three of four sets, receiving a match-high 20 kills from Hailey Koch.
Stefania Anagnostou and
Grace Mangapora dropped down 15 kills apiece for the Hawks, with
Caroline Walsh recording five aces and five assisted blocks.
IUP fell behind early in the firsts et as Gannon opened up an 8-2 lead, which later expanded to 20-11. A service ace from Walsh brought the Hawks within 22-15 before the Knights rounded out the set with the final three points.
IUP used a better start in the second set, zipping ahead 10-8 on a Mangapora kill. With the teams trading runs, late kills from Anagnostou and Mangapora lifted the Hawks to a 27-25 set victory.
Gannon surged ahead 6-1 in the third set after a kill from Koch, widening the margin to 9-4 on a block from Ali Sorenson and Koch. The Hawks chipped away, using a four-point swing that included a pair of aces from Walsh for a 17-16 edge. Gannon finished the set with a 9-4 outburst to take an important third set.
IUP used a stretch of consecutive aces from Walsh for a 6-3 lead in the fourth set. GU battled back and led 11-9 before IUP countered back with a run of its own. A block from Anagnostou and Walsh provided IUP a 21-17 edge before Gannon again closed the set with a strong finish.
Up Next
IUP finishes out the 2023 regular season with consecutive road matches, taking place November 10 at Slippery Rock (7:00 p.m.) and November 11 at Seton Hill (1:00 p.m.)
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPVB.
