INDIANA, Pa. – In an evenly played matchup throughout with an almost playoff-like feel at times, the IUP women's volleyball team could not close out a five-set matchup with Clarion, falling 3-2 on Friday night at the KCAC.
Clarion (14-2, 4-0) battled back from 2-1 down in the match and eventually held off five total fifth set match points in the resilient victory. Meanwhile, IUP (11-5, 2-1) rose to the challenge against one of the top programs in the region, falling just short in set scores of 25-19, 27-29, 29-27, 13-25, 14-16.
Friday's match featured a combined 43 ties and 17 lead changes across four sets of action, with Clarion controlling the fourth set from the jump. Friday's loss snapped a seven-match winning streak for the upstart Crimson Hawks.
Nyla Birch posted 19 kills and three block assists for IUP, while
Stefania Anagnostou notched a double-double behind 15 kills and 14 digs.
Simay Memisoglu logged eight kills and six block assists, matching the team-high block output added by
Caroline Walsh and
Lauren Valentic.
Bailey Flowerdew had 20 digs on the night, now just nine shy of reaching 1,000 for her IUP career. Clarion was led by veterans Cassidy Snider (25 kills) and London Fuller (54 assists).
A late 10-2 run pushed IUP to an early lead in the match. IUP used a balanced attack with
Delaney Concannon, Memisoglu, Walsh and Anagnostou logging kills in an early onslaught, part if a 25-19 set victory.
Clarion responded with a 5-2 lead at the onset of set two before IUP battled back, eventually working the set tied in the latter stages. Valentic posted a kill before joining Concannon for a block during a key two-point stretch that lifted IUP ahead 27-26. Clarion recorded the final three points of the set in a 29-27 frame.
A five-point surge carried IUP to a 9-7 lead, capped by an early service ace for
Hannah Simmons. In a set of runs, Simmons added another timely ace for a 19-16 IUP edge. Clarion turned the tables for a 23-21 lead before IUP eventually moved ahead in an extended set victory at 29-27. Walsh and Memisoglu closed the frame with a block assist.
Clarion took control early ijn the fourth set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and not looking back.
Trailing 9-7, IUP rattled off the next seven points, setting up match point at 14-7. The Golden Eagles battled back one final time, using a seven-point spurt of its own to claim the match.
Up Next
IUP returns for a pair of matches tomorrow (Septemeber 30) against Pitt-Johnstown at noon and Wheeling at 6:00 p.m.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPVB.
