Day one of the USCAA Tip-Off Tournament on the campus of Penn State Beaver in Monaca, PA, showcased the tenacity of a young Golden Eagles team who finished 2-0 on the afternoon. KSU Tusc won 3-0 and 3-1 losing their first set of the season. They are now 12-1 in set wins versus the opposition and 4-0 in the won/loss column.
In the opening match against the host Lions, the Eagles fought to a 16-16 stalemate until they went on a 5-0 run to open up a 21-16 lead. They didn't allow PSB to get any closer than four points winning 25-20. The Lions sprinted to an early 7-0 advantage in the second set and at one point led 10-4 before the navy and gold responded and closed the deficit to 10-7. They tied the set at 13-13 and never relinquished the lead while winning 25-20.
In what turned out to be the deciding set, the Eagles turned the tables on the Lions with an early lead that ballooned to 14-7 at the midway point. They were never headed as they had PSB off balance while winning 25-16 in their third consecutive three-set victory of the season.
Makenzie Ailes scored 15 points for the Eagles to go along with 12 kills and a .647 hitting percentage. Kylie Culbertson had 19 assists and four services---as did Addison Gordon---while Cayla Shrimplin contributed 16 digs.
In their final match of the day the KSU Tusc defeated Penn State Fayette 3-1 winning by sets scores of 25-17, 25-20 and 25-8 and losing only the second set 27-25 score to raise their season record to 4-0.
The Eagles took an early 8-4 lead in the first set and led just 16-14 before outscoring the Lions 9-3 to take the victory 25-17. The second set appeared to be a runaway, as the winners vaulted to a 16-7 lead, but the Nittany Lions grabbed all the momentum and scored 10 straight points to take a 17-16 lead.
The lead see-sawed back and forth and with the set knotted 25-25, PSF scored the final two points for a 27-25 victory putting the only set loss of the season on the Eagles who roared back in the third and fourth sets. They won the third 25-20 and took the fourth set in convincing fashion with a 25-8 no doubt win.
This time Taliyah Johnson had 14 kills and a .370 hitting percentage and Ailes added 11, hitting .588. Culbertson recorded 31 assists and Shrimplin had 20 digs.
The Eagles return to Penn State Beaver for Day 2 of the USCAA Tip-Off with an opponent and match time yet to be determined as of press time.
Cayla Shrimplin keeps the ball alive as Taliyah Johnson and other Eagles hit the floor.
Lizzy Keller bumps the ball to the front row for setting.
(Photos by Rob Brindley)