SELINSGROVE, PA (September 2, 2022) -- The No. 22 ranked Susquehanna University volleyball team ran into a little trouble early on against visiting Chatham University in the 2022 season opener, but won the next three sets to top the Cougars 3-1 in the second of two matches at the 17th Annual River Hawk Classic Friday evening. Susquehanna won with scores of 22-25, 25-17, 25-17 and 25-17. 

The first set was back and forth with each team answering a long run with one of its own. Susquehanna (1-0) posted a five-point spurt to take a 12-9 lead in the first stanza, and then posted another 5-0 run to extend its lead to 17-12. Chatham didn't go away, notching eight of the game's next nine points to take a 21-20 lead before a kill from Kody Dillon stopped the run to tie the match at 21. Each team traded points, but the Cougars closed out the set on a pair of service aces by Sierra Ricci to take the match lead. 

The second set looked like it might follow the same script, which each team rattling off long run after long run, but SU took control of the game with a 6-1 run to make the score 18-12 following a Rosina Esposito ace. CU trimmed its deficit to three at 19-16 after a kill from first-year Alyssa Leskovac, but the River Hawks powered back with a set-clinching 6-1 run capped by a successful dump kill from sophomore setter Keira Roach. 

With the match tied at a set apiece, Susquehanna used a 5-1 run early in the stanza to jump out to a 12-8 lead after a Dillon service ace. Chatham charged back to pull to within one at 12-11, but the hosts tallied the next seven points including a big kill from Esposito to make it 19-11. The Cougars tried to get back into the match, but back-to-back kills from Dillon sealed the game and the 2-1 lead for the River Hawks. 

In the fourth set, SU controlled the pace well and was able to side out the best of any of the four sets in pulling away from Chatham for the victory. The game was close through the middle points, but Susquehanna finished the match on a 10-3 run to capture the win. Friday night's victory was the third season-opening win for SU over the last six years, while marking the first time since SU started a campaign with a home triumph since 2015. 

The offensive unit was effective all night for Susquehanna, hitting .286 for the match with 59 total kills. Esposito finished with a team-best 14 terminations, adding eight digs, a solo block and two service aces. Sophomore Ryan Rorls posted a huge career-high in kills with 13, besting her previous career-high of five set last year against Cabrini. Dillon was SU's most effective hitter, swinging at a .444 clip en route to nine kills. Dillon also posted three total blocks (2 solo) along with two aces. Amanda Gore finished with a career-high eight terminations on 21 swings, adding two assisted blocks, and junior Emily Kowalski also established a new career-high with nine kills. 

Roach had a monster game at setter, as she tied her career-high with 45 assists, adding four kills, three aces and a team and career-high 17 digs. Senior Lexie Kalligonis put up a new career-high for digs with 14, while first-year Jessica Sack finished with 16 digs as well. Maddy Kempski also tied her career-high with eight digs. 

Chatham was paced by the 13 kills from Leskovac, while Shaelah Pepperman added 34 assists for the Cougars (1-1). Libero Meghan Dominek also had a match-high 25 digs for CU, which hit .085 (34-22-141) for the match. 

Up Next

• Susquehanna will turn around and host four matches in Day 2 of the 17th Annual River Hawk Classic. SU starts the day against UMass Boston at 11 am, and then finishes the weekend with a 5 pm affair against SUNY Brockport. 

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--RIVER HAWKS--