READING, PA. (October 13) – On Tuesday afternoon, the Alvernia University women's volleyball team (9-6) avenged last season's home loss with a 3-1 victory over conference rival Albright (5-9). The Lions took the first set from the Golden Wolves, but Alvernia responded with a balanced offensive attack and contributions from multiple scorers to win three straight sets and defeat the Lions on their home court.
How It Happened
In the first set, the Lions jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. Alvernia strung together several points behind two Zoe Velez kills, but the Lions matched each point and maintained a 10-5 advantage. Alvernia managed a 6-5 run, but the Golden Wolves struggled to slow the Lions' attack and continued to trail, 15-11. Olivia Jones and Allison Wolf helped propel the Golden Wolves forward, cutting the deficit to 17-15. However, another Lion run kept Alvernia at bay and extended the lead to 21-17. Despite a kill from Maylin Ortiz and a Lion set error, Alvernia could not complete the comeback and dropped the opening set, 25-19.
The Lions once again found their offensive rhythm early, taking a 5-2 lead over the Golden Wolves. Despite kills from Wolf, Ortiz, and Jones, Albright maintained its momentum and held an 11-6 advantage. However, behind the strong play of Wolf and Jones, the Golden Wolves went on a 9-4 run to tie the set at 15-15. Keeping the pressure on, Alvernia put together another 6-3 run to take a 21-18 lead. Albright refused to go away quietly and cut the deficit to 22-21, but three consecutive points from the Golden Wolves secured a 25-21 second-set victory.
With the match tied at one set apiece, both teams understood the importance of the third set. That intensity was evident as the Golden Wolves and Lions traded points, with Alvernia holding a narrow 10-8 advantage. The Golden Wolves then capitalized on a strong 10-2 run, fueled by points from Julia Lassandro, Wolf, and Ortiz, to extend their lead to 20-10. Albright managed to add a few points late in the set, but two kills each from Olivia Rohrbaugh and Jones capped off a dominant 25-14 victory, giving Alvernia a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Lions opened the fourth set with a 6-3 advantage, but a 7-4 run fueled by a balanced attack allowed Alvernia to even the score at 10-10. Jones and Ortiz continued to apply pressure with strong attacks, helping the Golden Wolves build a 17-13 lead. Despite Alvernia's advantage, the Lions fought back and cut the deficit to 22-19 late in the set. Jones halted the run to make it 23-19, but back-to-back points from Albright brought the Lions within two at 23-21. Alvernia closed out the set with contributions from Rohrbaugh and Olivia VonNeida, securing a 25-23 fourth-set victory and the 3-1 match win.
Inside the Box Score
Up Next
The Golden Wolves will travel to Center Valley, Pa., to face DeSales University on Thursday, October 15, at 7 p.m.
