LANCASTER, PA — The Penn State Berks women's volleyball team (12-13,) took on United East opponent Lancaster Bible College (14-10) on Thursday, October 29 in a non-conference matchup. Berks kept it competitive but ultimately fell to the Chargers 3-1.
The Nittany Lions built a 14-9 lead in the first set before the Chargers rallied late for a 25-20 finish. Earlier, Berks answered a 4-2 deficit with
Delaney Gote's service ace, a block by
Madelyn Caris and
Dani Tribbett, and a Tribbett kill from
Shea Leber to move in front.
Libby Swoyer helped keep the attack moving with assists on kills by Leber, Gote and Caris, while Leber added a service ace and Gote and
Emily Snader combined on a block during Berks' mid-set push. The Chargers responded from a 17-15 Berks lead with four straight points to go ahead 19-17, and the Blue & White got back within 21-19 on a Leber kill before the Chargers closed out the set.
Berks won the second set 25-23 after turning a 15-14 deficit into a 21-15 lead with seven straight points, a run that included kills from Tribbett and
Delaney Gote and a block by Swoyer and Tribbett. Earlier, the Nittany Lions traded points through a tight opening stretch, getting multiple kills from Gote and blocks involving Snader, Leber, Gote and Tribbett to stay even with the Chargers. After Berks built its six-point cushion, the Chargers answered with six consecutive points to tie the set at 21-21. The Nittany Lions regained control through side-out points, a Swoyer service ace for 24-22 and, after the Chargers stayed alive, a Snader kill from Swoyer to finish the set.
The Blue & White dropped the third set 25-10 as the Chargers built separation with repeated service points and attacking errors against the visitors. Snader answered the opening two points with a kill from Swoyer, and Berks later used an
Ella Griffiths service ace and a Caris kill to move within 5-4. The Chargers responded with several scoring stretches, including back-to-back service aces that pushed the margin to 13-6 and another run that made it 18-8. Leber, Gote and Snader added kills for the Nittany Lions later in the set, but the Chargers closed out the set with the final three points.
Berks made its final push from a 23-19 deficit, scoring four straight points behind a Swoyer-Tribbett block, a Chargers attack error, a Leber kill from Swoyer and a
Gabryella Maney ace to tie the fourth set at 23-23. Earlier, the Nittany Lions opened the set with a 5-1 lead, using a Gote kill from Griffiths, a
Gwen Tew kill from Swoyer and a Caris-Tew block during the stretch. The Chargers worked back to even the set at 5-5 and later moved ahead 17-13, but Berks answered with a Gote kill and a Griffiths ace to get back within 17-16. Gote added another kill and Caris followed with one from Swoyer as the Blue & White stayed within one at 20-19, but the Chargers scored the final two points after the 23-23 tie to take the set, 25-23.
Gote led Berks with 10 kills and 12.5 points while adding 11 digs and three block assists. Swoyer finished with 23 assists, six digs, two service aces and two block assists. Griffiths recorded a team-high 19 digs and added two service aces. Tribbett posted a team-best five total blocks and added four kills.
WHO'S NEXT
Up next, the Nittany Lions will complete their regular season as they travel to Middletown, Pennsylvania, to face Penn State Harrisburg on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 1 p.m.
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