READING — The Penn State Berks women's volleyball team (8-11, 3-3) hosted Penn State Abington (10-7, 3-3) in a United East matchup with playoff implications for both teams. Each contest set was close, with the highest point differential being three, that eventually saw Berks hold off Abington for a 3-1 victory on Wednesday, October 15.
The Nittany Lions overcame an 18-12 deficit in the first set, winning seven of eight rallies from 20-16 down to move in front before finishing a 25-23 win. Earlier, three
Madelyn Caris kills from
Libby Swoyer helped Berks pull even at 7-7 and again at 8-8, but the Lions later pushed ahead by six. Berks began its response with an
Emily Snader kill, an
Ella Griffiths ace and a
Delaney Gote kill, then added kills from Gote,
Dani Tribbett and Caris to get back within 20-18. Still down 21-19, Caris served four straight Berks points as an opponent error, a Caris kill, a
Shea Leber kill and another attack error put the home side ahead 23-21. After the Lions tied the set at 23-23, Leber answered with a kill from Swoyer and was credited with the block on the final point to close the set.
Berks created the separation it needed midway through the second set, turning a 16-14 edge into a 20-14 lead during Gote's service rotation with kills from Caris and Tribbett. Earlier, the Nittany Lions built a 5-2 start behind two Tribbett kills and an
Ella Griffiths ace, but the Lions answered and later moved ahead 11-10 before Berks kept trading back into the set with kills from Leber, Gote and
Emily Snader. After the 20-14 stretch, the Lions cut the margin to 20-19, but the Nittany Lions stopped the run with a Tribbett kill, added points through a Tribbett block and a Leber kill, and reached set point at 24-21 on another Leber finish. Snader closed the set with a kill from
Libby Swoyer, giving Berks a 25-22 win in the second set.
Berks built a 22-17 lead in the third set, but the Lions scored seven straight points late and came back to take the set 25-23. Earlier, the Nittany Lions shook off a 2-0 start by the Lions and moved in front 5-3, with
Delaney Gote's kill and Griffiths' service ace closing that early push. Snader and Caris helped Berks stay in front through the middle of the set, as Snader delivered four kills before the hosts reached 15 points and Caris added back-to-back kills during that stretch. Tribbett and Leber added kills as the Nittany Lions reached 22-17, but the Lions' late run included three Fabiola Medina service aces before Leber answered at 24-23 and Ellie Van Otten ended the set with a kill.
The fourth set looked to be all Abington as they controlled the tempo, earning themselves a 13-4. The Nittany Lions began to cut the lead down with kills from Caris, Tribbett, and Leber for four straight points, eventually turning the contest to 17-11 in favor of the Lions. Berks went to take six straight points, earning a 10-1 run that put them ahead 21-18. Snader's kill made it 17-12, and
Ella Griffiths followed with five straight service points, including three aces, before a Caris block tied the set at 17-17. After the Lions briefly moved back in front, Caris answered with a kill, Tribbett and
Libby Swoyer combined on a block to put Berks ahead 19-18, and Gote added a service ace during the closing push. Leber delivered three late kills, including the final point, as the Nittany Lions closed out the 25-22 set victory.
Caris finished with 17 kills, 16 digs and 18.0 points. Swoyer recorded 52 assists, 16 digs and one block assist. Griffiths tallied seven service aces and collected 20 digs. Leber added 16 kills and 17.0 points.
WHO'S NEXT
Up next, the Berks volleyball team travels to Baltimore, Maryland, to face Notre Dame of Maryland University on Friday, Oct. 16, at 11 p.m.
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