SELINSGROVE, PA – Susquehanna Volleyball battled number-one ranked Juniata in a 3-0 loss full of positives. Facing a team who has lost a total of three sets over the course of the season so far, the River Hawks battled valiantly but fell to the defending national champions to bring their overall record to 5-11 with a conference record of 1-1.
The first set of the match was understandably slow from the home side, as the River Hawks struggled to find any openings against a stout Eagles front as they soared past SU with a final set score of 25-11.
Susquehanna was able to find their footing in the beginning of set two, however, in a back-and-forth battle between the rival schools. After a 6-5 start in favor of Juniata, the Eagles banded together and fought forward on an 8-1 run to pull ahead 14-6. On the verge of needing a timeout to regroup, a service error from Juniata allowed the River Hawks to regain service en route to a six-point scoring streak before forcing the Eagles to reorganize their attack. Eventually the 2022 national champion squad returned to form and completed the set with an 11-1 streak to close out the second set 25-13.
The final set was perhaps the most encouraging set of the match for Susquehanna, as the young side stunned the Eagles and pulled ahead early, commanding a 9-3 lead. With national tournament experience, however, Juniata pulled together a strong effort to tie the set at 13-13. The teams would then trade scoring streaks, with Susquehanna's scoring halted at 21-18 before the Eagles were able to close out the match with a final score of 25-18.
Sami Kline led the River Hawks in kills on the night with six, followed by
Ryan Rorls with four. Junior
Keira Roach set the pace in assists with 12, with
Jessica Sack,
Valerie Stoltz, and
Callie Wince each contributing one each.
Amanda Gore led the River Hawk defense with three blocks, as Roach supplied eight digs. The River Hawks finished with a .011 hitting percentage with 19 kills on 89 attempts, while Juniata finished with a .272 hitting percentage with 37 kills on 81 attempts.
Susquehanna continues Landmark action with a road trip next Friday against Scranton at 7:00 PM, followed by a matchup against Drew on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
