Reading, Pa. (Sept. 3, 2022) - Alvernia University (3-0) did not give up a set on Saturday as the Golden Wolves swept a home tri-match at Alvernia.

Alvernia is now 3-0 on the young season, but it is the first time in 20 years that the Alvernia Women's Volleyball team had a 3-0 start. They last did it in 2002 with three wins in one day to open the season at the Dickinson Tournament.

The Golden Wolves started their day with a 3-0 sweep over Goucher College (1-2), and capped off the day with a 3-0 win against Gwynedd Mercy University (1-2).

In match one of the day, the Gophers and Golden Wolves played even through the early points of the first set, with Goucher holding a slight 6-4 advantage. Alvernia tied it up on a service ace by Rachel Sipling and traded points with the Gophers until a kill by Sipling made it an 8-7 set in favor of Alvernia.

The Gopher then went on a 9-1 run to quickly take a 16-9 advantage, but Alvernia battled right back. The Golden Wolves got within four, 16-12, on a kill and two forced errors by the Gophers.

Following a service error by Alvernia that made it a 17-12 set, Alvernia went on a 9-0 run off the serve of Juliana McGlone to take the 21-17 lead. The 9-0 run included three kills - including two from Lindsay Ferguson, and an ace.

The Gophers did not go down easy, getting back within one, 21-20. Back-to-back kills from Alvernia and a block by Ferguson and Sipling took it to set point, 24-20. The Gophers held off the set point twice until a kill by Sipling gave Alvernia the 25-22 set win.

In the second set of the match, Alvernia picked up the first point with a kill from Allie Evangelista off the set of Patricia Falar. The Golden Wolves and Gophers again played it even early until Alvernia put up four straight points to go up 15-9 midway through the set.

The Gophers then came back and evened things up 18-18 on a service ace, but Goucher's next serve went out to give Alvernia back the lead, 19-18. Following a Goucher kill to tie it back up at 19-19, Alvernia put up three straight kills from three different players to go up 22-19 on the Gophers.

Back-to-back kills by Sipling closed out the second set with Alvernia on top, 25-21.

The Golden Wolves started out fast in the third set, taking advantage of two Goucher mistakes while adding a service ace from Falar and a kill by McGlone to go up 4-0.

After Goucher got within one, 6-5, Alvernia strung together four straight kills to extend its lead to 10-5.

Alvernia continued to push the Gophers lter in the set, with a second-touch kill by Molly Gaffney giving Alvernia the 20-13 lead.

The Golden Wolves then took advantage of three straight attack errors by the Gophers to go up 23-14, but four straight points by Goucher brought the Gophers back within five, 23-18.

Alvernia did not allow Goucher to get any closer as a kill by Gaffney and attack error by Goucher sealed the 25-18 set win and 3-0 match win.

Sipling led Alvernia in match one with 10 kills and two blocks. Falar finished with 11 assists, and Jordan Thompson added 14 digs.

In the second match of the day, Alvernia and Gwynedd Mercy stayed close in the opening points of the first set, with Alvernia holding a slight 9-6 advantage. The Golden Wolves then went on a 7-0 run that included five aces from Sipling to push their lead to 16-6. Alvernia closed out the set with an ace from Gaffney, doubling up on the Griffins, 25-12.

In the second set, the Griffins and Golden Wolves were locked at 17 all late in the set, but Alvernia put up seven straight on the Griffins to hold a 24-17 advantage. Falar recorded two aces in the run and Bowles and Sipling each recorded a kill. The Griffins held off set point twice until a kill by Sipling sealed the set, 25-19.

After the Griffins led 4-3 early in the third set, a set error by Gwynedd Mercy tied the set up at 4-4. Another ace from Falar sparked an 11-1 run by Alvernia that saw kills from Jamie Pierce, Kayleigh Kehler, and Sipling.

The Griffins battled back and got within two, 21-19, but Alvernia held off the late push with a kill from Pierce and an ace from Falar giving Alvernia the 23-19 advantage. A service error by Gwynedd Mercy and a kill from Pierce gave Alvernia the 25-20 set win and 3-0 match.

Sipling recorded 15 kills with six aces on the match, and Falar finished with 16 assists and five aces.

Alvernia is back in action on Wednesday with its MAC Commonwealth opener against Hood College in the PEC.

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