Beating a team twice in the span of a week and facing an 11-2 squad on a five-game winning streak are both big asks. The Golden Eagles volleyball team however, were up to both tasks but ended up splitting a tri match on Saturday in Founders Hall Gym.
In the opening match the navy and gold squared off against Penn State New Kensington, a team that KSU Tusc took down 3-0 just one week earlier. The teams battled to 8-7 with the Eagles leading before they raced out to a 21-9 lead and finished off the Lions 25-16.
It was close again early in the second stanza with the Eagles on top 9-8 when Nicole Simons stepped to the service line. The sophomore serving specialist completed seven straight winners to make the score 16-8 while also adding a ace. Twice the Eagles led by 11 points (20-9 & 23-12) as they won going away 25-15.
They were never pressed in the third set leaping out to a 21-5 lead aided by 12 straight service points by Addison Gordon. She added three service aces during the stretch as the Eagles took care of business in dispatching PSNK 25-10, to give themselves their eighth 3-0 set win on the season and increase their record to 10-1.
In the mid after finale, the Golden Eagles fell in five sets to a very solid Edison State team. KSU Tusc came out swinging in the first set taking an early 6-2 lead, but the Chargers came right back to forge a 12-11 lead. Enter Kylie Culbertson.....
Culbertston tied the match and led the Eagles to a nine-point 21-12 lead serving up 10 consecutive points and the partisan crowd roared their approval, as KSU Tusc outlasted Edison on several long volleys. The lead would stand and the Eagles held off ECC to win 25-21.
Despite an early 3-0 lead in second set, the Eagles found themselves down 13-10 at the midway point and then the Chargers put them in a 23-14 hole. The visitors eventually won 25-18 to tie the match 1-1.
Electrified by the second set loss, KSU Tusc surged ahead 13-8 in the third set breaking out after an 7-7 tie. It was a lead they would not relinquish as they lead by as many as six points taking a 2-1 lead by winning the set 25-21.
Edison dominated the fourth set to tie the match and force a deciding fifth set by taking an early 8-1 lead. Things certainly did not look good for the Eagles when they trailed 13-5 and 24-15, but they fought back to 24-20 before falling 25-20.
The deciding fifth set was owned by the Chargers as they jumped out to a 6-1 advantage on the strength of poor hitting and lacking defense by the Eagles. KSU Tusc did fight back to within 13-8 and made life a little uncomfortable for ECC, but they managed to get no closer than 14-11 before the winners scored the final point in a 15-11 win.
The loss ended the Golden Eagles six-game win streak as their record moved to 10-2. The victory improved Edison's record to 12-2.
On Saturday, September 30th the Eagles travel to Butler, PA, to play against Anne Arundel College at 1 pm and Butler County Community College at 3 pm in a tri match.
The Golden Eagles celebrate a point against Edison State and Alivia Spaulding smacks down a kill at the net against the Chargers.
Lizzy Keller and Alivia Spaulding make a block at the net against Edison State.
(Photos by Rob Brindley)