Penn State Shenango Edges Penn State New Kensington in Five-Set Thriller

Penn State Shenango Edges Penn State New Kensington in Five-Set Thriller

Penn State New Kensington (7-4, 2-1) fell just short in a tightly contested match against Penn State Shenango (6-4, 4-0), losing in five sets by a score of 3-2 (25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 19-25, 17-15). Despite a strong comeback from New Kensington, Shenango held on in the decisive fifth set to secure the win.

Match Recap:

• Shenango jumped out to a two-set lead, taking the first two frames 25-19, 25-19. However, New Kensington fought back, winning the next two sets 25-23 and 25-19 to force a decisive fifth set.
• The final set was a nail-biter, with Shenango prevailing 17-15 to win the match.

Key Performances:

• Gabby Wolfkill and Jessica Staraniec led the attack for New Kensington, combining for 23 kills. Staraniec was especially efficient, hitting .455 with 12 kills, while Wolfkill added 11 kills and hit .364.
• Kayla Unger played a critical role, dishing out 23 assists and contributing two service aces.
• Kayla Carnahan was a defensive anchor with a team-high 39 digs, while Gabrielle Green and Jessica Staraniec added solid defensive efforts.
• Shenango's Cyra Cross led all players with 12 kills and hit .323, while Sydney Ward was also instrumental with 9 kills and a .529 hitting percentage.

Team Stats:

• Kills: Penn State New Kensington 32, Penn State Shenango 40
• Assists: Penn State New Kensington 26, Penn State Shenango 23
• Digs: Penn State New Kensington 69, Penn State Shenango 61
• Service Aces: Penn State New Kensington 9, Penn State Shenango 8

Penn State New Kensington Leaders:

• Kills: Jessica Staraniec (12), Gabby Wolfkill (11)
• Assists: Kayla Unger (23)
• Digs: Kayla Carnahan (39)
• Blocks: Jessica Staraniec (3)

Despite the loss, Penn State New Kensington showed resilience in forcing a fifth set and demonstrated their strong all-around play. They will look to bounce back in their next match and build on their strong performance.