Penn State New Kensington Falls to Kent State Tuscarawas in Straight Sets

Penn State New Kensington Falls to Kent State Tuscarawas in Straight Sets

Penn State New Kensington (7-5, 2-3) struggled to find their rhythm, losing in straight sets to Kent State Tuscarawas (9-7, 0-0) by a score of 3-0 (25-8, 25-18, 25-11). The visitors from Tuscarawas controlled the match from start to finish, limiting New Kensington's opportunities and executing a high-efficiency offense.

Match Recap:

• Kent State Tuscarawas dominated the first set with a commanding 25-8 victory, quickly establishing their superiority.
• New Kensington showed improvement in the second set, scoring 18 points but ultimately falling short as Kent State won 25-18.
• In the third set, Tuscarawas closed out the match with another strong performance, winning 25-11 to sweep the match.

Key Performances:

• Jessica Staraniec led the offense for Penn State New Kensington with 11 kills, hitting an impressive .643 for the match. Staraniec's performance was a bright spot in an otherwise difficult outing for her team.
• Gabby Wolfkill contributed with 4 kills, hitting .500, and also added 9 digs and 2 blocks.
• Kayla Unger provided solid playmaking, dishing out 25 assists and chipping in with 2 service aces.
• On the defensive side, Annmarie Uhl led the team with a game-high 31 digs, while Gabrielle Green had 15 digs.

Despite flashes of strong play, Penn State New Kensington struggled to contain Kent State's offensive firepower. Elizabeth Keller, Allie Keller, and Mackenzie Neininger combined for 34 kills for Kent State Tuscarawas, with all three players hitting over .600 for the match.

Team Stats:

• Kills: Penn State New Kensington 17, Kent State Tuscarawas 41
• Assists: Penn State New Kensington 54, Kent State Tuscarawas 53
• Digs: Penn State New Kensington 79, Kent State Tuscarawas 40
• Blocks: Penn State New Kensington 23, Kent State Tuscarawas 23

Penn State New Kensington Leaders:

• Kills: Jessica Staraniec (11), Gabby Wolfkill (4)
• Assists: Kayla Unger (25)
• Digs: Annmarie Uhl (31), Gabrielle Green (15)
• Blocks: Gabby Wolfkill (2), Emily Lewandowski (6)

Penn State New Kensington will look to regroup and improve on both sides of the net as they prepare for their next conference matchup.