WEST CHESTER, Pa. – IUP women's volleyball picked up a pair of wins to finish out action at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Kickoff Tournament on Saturday, hosted by West Chester. The Crimson Hawks recorded a straight-set victory against Chestnut Hill to start the day, knocking off host West Chester in four sets to close out the weekend.
IUP lost just one set on the day, using an efficient and balanced offensive attack and a big presence at the net. It caps a 3-1 weekend to start the 2023 season for the Crimson Hawks, which worked in several transfers and newcomers into the lineup for the first time.
Match One – Chestnut Hill
IUP was in control for much of the match, recording its first sweep of the season with set score victories of 25-15, 25-20 and 25-15.
IUP hit .275 for the match while limiting Chestnut Hill to a negative hitting percentage. The Hawks also racked up 11 blocks on the afternoon in another balanced showing.
Nyla Birch was efficient with nine kills and six block assists while hitting .381 during the sweep.
Delaney Concannon added nine kills and six digs of her own, while
Grace Mangapora added six kills.
Kat Warpinski posted 16 assists and Bailey Flowedew notched 13 digs and five assists for the Hawks.
IUP surged out to a 10-4 advantage at the onset of set one, including six kills and an ace from
Caroline Walsh. The Hawks remained in control during the first set, with Mangapora dropping in consecutive kills for a 24-15 edge. Birch and
Lauren Valentic combined for an assisted block that pushed IUP to a 1-0 lead in the match.
Chestnut Hill held an early lead in the second set in a frame more tightly contested. Trading points in the middle portions of the set, IUP used efficient offense to keep a narrow edge and take a 2-0 lead behind a 25-20 set win.
A five-point run for IUP put the Crimson Hawks ahead for good in the third set, which included kills for Concannon, Birch and Warpinski, along with an ace from Flowerdew. A stretch of back-to-back kills for Concannon widened the IUP lead to 17-10 before the Hawks closed out the frame with a 6-1 run.
Match Two – West Chester
IUP hit .261 as a team and collected 18 block assists in the match, finishing out the opening weekend of the season with a 3-1 triumph over PSAC East opponent West Chester.
Birch led the match with 12 kills as Mangapora added nine kills of her own. Valentic, Walsh and
Simay Memisoglu notched four block assists each in a strong effort at the net.
The first set was competitive early on with both teams trading scores before West Chester tallying seven consecutive points for a quick lead at 11-7, prompting an IUP timeout. IUP had kills from Valentic and Birch early on, along with an ace for
Hannah Simmons in the initial stint of play.
IUP battled back within 12-10 in the first set following the timeout before the Golden Rams expanded the margin once again with another run. WCU took control of the set at 22-11, closing out the frame at 25-13.
IUP bounced back at the start of the second set, pushing the advantage to 12-8. Concannon was particularly effective from the outside hitter spot, helping IUP stretch the edge to 20-13. The Golden Rams narrowed the IUP lead to two at 20-18 and 22-20. IUP finished out the set with a block assists, tying the match at one each.
The Hawks used a strong start in the third set, zipping ahead 9-4, highlighted by a pair of kills from Birch. IUP charged ahead by eight before a block assist from Memisoglu and Walsh handed the visitors momentum at 20-11. Mangapora finished out the set with a kill from Simmons as IUP moved ahead 2-1 with a 25-15 triumph.
IUP used a combination of strong offense and some inaccurate hitting from the Golden Rams for an early 8-2 lead in the fourth set. The Rams slowly chipped away at the deficit but IUP remained in control following the quick start, pushing the lead to double digits at 18-8. The Hawks closed out the set and the match with a flurry at the end, hitting .375 as a team in the stanza.
Up Next
IUP hits the road for its next time out at West Liberty on Tuesday, September 5 at 6:00 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawks and @IUPVB.
