MIDDLETOWN, PA — The Penn State Berks women's volleyball team (12-16) competed in the United East Championship quarterfinals, where the Nittany Lions fell to host and second seed Penn State Harrisburg (17-7) 3-0 on Saturday, November 7.
Berks made its biggest push after falling behind 14-8, using two
Delaney Gote kills and a Gote-
Dani Tribbett block to pull within 14-12. Earlier, the Blue & White moved in front 2-1 on a service error and a Camryn Wettstone attack error, and Gote,
Madelyn Caris and
Shea Leber each supplied kills as the teams moved through the opening stretch. The Nittany Lions stayed within one later in the set when Tribbett finished a
Libby Swoyer assist and an Ellie Brown attack error made it 15-14. The Lions answered with the next stretch of separation, and Berks got a late Leber kill from
Marissa Bailey before dropping the opening set 25-17.
Berks made its strongest push after falling behind 17-11, winning six of the next seven points to get within 18-17 behind two Leber kills and points off Lions errors. Earlier, the Nittany Lions answered a 4-1 deficit with kills from Gote and Tribbett and tied the set at 5-5, then stayed within reach through kills by Leber and Gote and an
Emily Snader block. The Lions rebuilt separation at 17-11 before Berks responded out of a timeout, with Leber and Bailey connecting during the comeback stretch. The hosts answered with five of the next six points to move ahead 23-18, and although Snader added two late kills for the Blue & White, the Lions finished the set 25-19.
Berks stayed even deep into the third set before the Lions broke a 15-15 tie with four straight points and went on to take the set 25-20. Earlier, the Nittany Lions answered a 5-2 deficit with kills from Tribbett and Caris, both set by Bailey, to pull even at 5-5.
Shea Leber's kill gave Berks an 8-7 lead, and a block by Snader and Bailey put the visitors back in front at 9-8 before Gote, Leber and Caris helped the Blue & White move ahead 13-11. Berks later got a Leber kill to stop the four-point Lions push and added late points on a Gote kill from
Mackenzie Davis and another Leber kill from Swoyer, but the Lions closed the set with the final two points.
Gote led Berks with nine kills and 9.5 points. Leber added eight kills while hitting .208 and collected six digs. Swoyer finished with 11 assists and eight digs. Caris recorded 10 digs and added four kills.
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