Gators Hold Close to #1 Wittenberg in Loss

Oct 19, 2007

Box Score

MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny College volleyball team held close to the top ranked team in the country, Wittenberg University, falling in three to the undefeated Tigers, by scores of 30-23, 30-21, 30-21. It was just the fourth time this season, and the first time in their North Coast Athletic Conference contests, that the Wittenberg opponent scored at least 20 points in all three games.

The strong Wittenberg squad came into the game having won 78 of their 82 games played this season, with only the three opponents that saw the four game losses and three others seeing the opponent scoring 20 or more points three times. Two of the three teams that have taken games from the Tigers are nationally ranked (#5 Washington U. and #24 Central) and the four other teams that held the Tigers close include #12 Ohio Northern, #16 Calvin, Mount Union (who is receiving votes) and the Gators.

The opening game saw a tight battle throughout, with the largest lead through the first 38 points of the game being two. The Gators led by two at two separate occasions in the early going, the first coming off of a kill from Cally Malone (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), giving Allegheny a 4-2 advantage and the second when Jenna Hackett (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) slammed a spike, giving the Gators a 5-3 lead – the two-point advantage marking the largest for the Gators for the remainder of the match. With the game tied 19-19 Wittenberg opened a 4-0 run, pushing ahead to a 23-19 lead, using the momentum and another 4-0 run at the end of the game to send the Gators to a 30-23 loss.

The second game started similarly to the first, as Wittenberg used a series of 2-0 runs to push their lead to four at 9-5. The Gators fought back, eventually tying the game at 11 after an Alyssa Edwards (League City, Texas/Clear Creek) service ace following a Wittenberg timeout. Allegheny kept the game within striking distance until the visitors from Springfield went on a pair of 3-0 runs, separated by a Hackett kill, pushing the Tigers’ lead to six at 23-17. Five points would be as close as Allegheny would come in the middle game, with Wittenberg ending the contest on a four-point run.

Allegheny never led in the third game, however it took a Wittenberg 4-0 run 14 points into the game to giving the visitors a comfortable advantage. The Gators fought back with a pair of two-point runs, closing the gap to three at 15-12. A 6-1 run gave the Tigers an eight-point lead and another 3-0 run pushed the advantage to ten at 25-15. Things looked bleak for the hosts until, after a Gator timeout, the hosts went on a five-point run, cutting the 10-point deficit in half at 25-20. The five-point deficit would be as close as Allegheny would come the rest of the way, as the Tigers scored five of the last six points of the game, ending the match with a 30-21 victory.

The balanced Gator attack was led by Hackett who had nine kills, while Cat Van Wagner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) had six and Malone five kills, respectively. Amanda Bancroft (Centerville, Pa./Maplewood) dished out of 24 of the team’s 27 kills, while Edwards had a team-high 18 digs with Annie Schultheis (Canton, Ohio/GlenOak) adding ten.

The Gators take to the hardwood tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. when they face off against the Quakers of Earlham College in senior day for the squad’s three graduating players, Hackett, Schultheis and Betsy LaPorte (Albany, Ohio/Alexander).

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