Reading, Pa. (Sept. 17, 2015) - Sophomore Kristen Sipling racked up a season-high 20 kills to lead Alvernia University (5-5) to a 3-1 win over Goucher College (5-6) Thursday evening in non-conference women's volleyball action at the Physical Education Center.

The Crusaders won the first set with a score of 25-23. The set was close until the end, with Alvernia coming back from a 3-point deficit to clench the first of three sets. Jillian Baker had a team-high of five kills, and Lauren Snyder had four assists and two aces..

Alvernia crept ahead in the second set early taking leads of 11-6 and 15-10 before Goucher mounted a comeback.  The Gophers battled back to take the lead at 25-24, but the Crusaders were able to respond.  Alvernia knotted the score at 25-all on a Sipling kill, went ahead 26-25 on an ace from Sipling and won the second set 27-25 when Baker came through with a set-ending kill.

Goucher  dominated the beginning of the third set, at one point leading 11-6. The Crusaders began to fight back from their 11-16 deficit, but eventually fell to Goucher in the third set 25-22.

Alvernia quickly took the lead in the fourth set, with kills from Sipling and Laura Wachowitz, and continued to dominate, taking the final set 25-17.

"It was definitely a fun match," said Alvernia head coach Kelly Nicodemus.  "We haven't gotten a lot of four-game matches so to get to see the girls drop a game, then come right back and play a really dominant fourth game, it's the sign of a turn-around in this program."

Snyder and O'Donnell led the team in assists with 28 and 24, respectively.  Sipling led the team with a whopping 20 kills.

"It was noticeable when Kristen found her game," said Nicodemus, "Once we moved her back to the left side, she took over the game. She was just playing with a lot of confidence."

Alvernia will return to play against Muhlenburg College on Saturday, September 17 at 12:00pm in Allentown.
 
Alvernia 3, Goucher 1