READING, PA - Penn State Berks swept Rosemont in straight sets 25-9, 25-13, 25-7 on Wednesday, October 22 at the Beaver Athletics & Wellness Center. The Nittany Lions recorded 21 service aces, dominating the match while limiting the Ravens to a .000 hitting percentage. The match concluded in under an hour, showcasing a decisive performance by the home team.

Berks opened play with a steady performance after a slow start, trailing Rosemont 4-0. The home team's momentum shifted with Madelyn Caris' kill, sparking a rally that included a service ace by Caris. A sequence of kills from Ella Griffiths and Emily Snader, assisted by Libby Swoyer, helped Berks take a lead at 6-5. The Nittany Lions continued its strong run, extending the lead to 10-5, highlighted by Mackenzie Davis' back-to-back service aces. Griffiths delivered multiple kills and aces, driving the score to 21-7. Caris added two more kills to push the advantage to 23-8. As the first set closed, the Nittany Lions maintained pressure with a service ace from Snader, ultimately securing the first set 25-9 following an attack error from Rosemont's Olivia Oliver.

The second set began with Berks capitalizing on an early service error by Rosemont to take an initial point. Despite a service error of their own, the Blue & White quickly regained momentum. A significant run was sparked by Madelyn Caris with a service ace, followed by a series of successful plays, including kills by Marissa Bailey and Oceana Tirado, pushing the score to 6-3 in favor of home team. The Nittany Lions continued to extend their lead with consistent service pressure, highlighted by multiple aces from Mackenzie Davis, which further increased their advantage. Critical kills by Karlie Kerschner and Madelyn Caris, combined with additional Rosemont errors, allowed Berks to reach a 23-13 margin. The set concluded with a ball handling error by Rosemont, sealing the set at 25-13 in favor of Berks, who leveraged consistent offensive execution and opponent miscues to close the frame decisively.

The Nittany Lions started the third set by capitalizing on an early attack error and a kill by Madelyn Caris to gain a quick 2-0 advantage. Despite a brief response from the Ravens, Berks maintained momentum with another kill from Caris and a series of service aces from Ella Griffiths, extending their lead to 13-2. Libby Swoyer then added to the tally with consecutive kills and service aces, pushing the score to 20-4. Cornelia Hathcoat continued the pressure with a kill and two service aces, bringing the home team within one point of victory. A final attack error by Rosemont sealed the set at 25-7 in favor of Penn State Berks.

Swoyer contributed significantly with 15 assists and added three aces. Caris led the team with nine kills and registered seven digs. Griffiths made a notable impact at the service line with eight aces. Davis also excelled in serving, recording five aces while collecting eight digs.



WHO'S NEXT
The next challenge for Berks is set for October 28 as they travel to face St. Mary's College of Maryland in St. Mary's City, MD. The match will begin at 7:00 PM.

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