Lions Earn First Win In PSUAC Opener

HAZLETON, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine opened its Penn State University Athletic Conference volleyball schedule with a 3-0 sweep of Penn State Hazleton, earning the team's first victory of the season on Thursday night. The victory was Brandywine's 19th-straight against PSUAC competition.

Rikelle Taylor (Nottingham, Pa./Solanco) produced a career-high 12 kills, while Julia Miles (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) also set a career best with 31 assists to lead the offense. Sydney Stevens (Wilmington, Del./Alexis I. DuPont) added eight kills and both Lauren Kelly (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) and Nicolette Napoleon (Springfield, Pa./Penn Charter) tallied seven. Alsatia Haas-Tome (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) topped the team with four service aces.

Kelly led all players and paced four Lions reaching double-figure digs with 20, while Stevens totaled 14. Napoleon chipped in 11 and Miles collected 10.

The first set was tight throughout, with neither team leading by more than three points until Brandywine used a 6-2 run to build a 21-17 edge. Hazleton fought off two Brandywine set points before Napoleon closed out the first frame with a kill, giving Brandywine the 25-22 victory.

After trailing 6-5, the Lions scored eight of the next nine points and pulled away during set No. 2. Brandywine pushed its lead as large as 20-11 following two-straight Hazleton errors and settled for the 25-17 set victory and 2-0 advantage in the match.

The teams were tied at 17-17 during the final set, but a Hazleton service error gave Brandywine the lead for good as the Lions went on to score eight of the final 10 points in winning the stanza 25-19.

Brandywine (1-4, 1-0 PSUAC) continues PSUAC play on Sunday at Penn State Scranton beginning at 2:00 pm.