HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Facing yet another nationally-ranked team, the Susquehanna women's volleyball team battled tough against No. 1 Juniata but fell 3-0 in the Landmark Conference season opener for both squads.

The Crusaders (10-6, 0-1) dropped 18-25, 21-25, 13-25 decisions to the Eagles (12-0, 1-0).

Erin Byrne (San Diego, Calif./Scripps Ranch) led SU with nine kills to go along with five digs, two assists and two block assists. Sarah Paluck (Nesquehoning, Pa./Tamaqua Area) had a match-high 15 digs and Maggie O'Hearn (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) finished with 20 assists.

In the opening set, a Leana Carvin (Walnutport, Pa./Northampton Area) service ace pulled SU within two (12-10) and Marykate Sherkness's (Treskow, Pa./Marian Catholic) kill kept it a four-point game (18-14). Unfortunately, the Eagles scored seven of the last 11 points to win 25-18.

The second set was just as close. The Crusaders led 2-0 and were down by just one (5-4) following a Juniata service error.  Alyssa Chiodo's (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) service ace kill kept Susquehanna within three (16-13) and Tara Mahoney's (Edgewater, Md./South River) maitained a three-point margin for SU (17-14) but the team pulled no closer in an eventual 25-21 loss.

Juniata led from start to finish in the third and final set. The Eagles led 7-3 in the early going before a service ace by made it 7-5.  Rachel Wherry's (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) kill made it 7-5 but the Crusaders could not get the lead back under six for the remainder of the night and fell 25-13.

SU continues league play on Saturday, Sept. 26 with matches against Elizabethtown and Moravian at Elizabethtown College.