SPRINGFIELD, OH- The #8 Juniata women's volleyball team traveled to Ohio to compete in the Wittenberg Fall Classic on Friday night. The Eagles defeated Ohio Northern 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-21).
In the first game, Juniata trailed 13-11 at one point. A four-point rally highlighted by two kills from Mar-Jana Phillips (Carson, CA/Rolling Hills Prep) put the Eagles ahead 15-13. The Polar Bears got as close as one, 15-14, but JC would use a 10-4 run to close out the set and take a 1-0 lead.
The next two games were a little closer. Ohio Northern kept it tight with Juniata in the second game as the Eagles led by only 21-20. A kill from Amelia Kepler (Kane, PA/Kane Area) followed by an ace from Megan Moroney (Mentor, OH/Mentor) increased the Eagle lead to 23-20. The advantage stood at 24-22 when Christine Irwin's (State College, PA/State College) kill sealed the set for Juniata.
The Eagles went ahead 18-14 in the third game but the Polar Bears kept up with Juniata and were down by only two points, 23-21. In the end, the Eagles pulled away as a kill by Nakita Gearhart (Waynesboro, PA/Greencastle-Antrim) and an attack error by Ohio Northern gave Juniata the set and the win.
Gearhart was the kills leader for the Eagles with 11. Phillips added nine kills and also had five assisted blocks. Brittani Young (Columbia, PA/Hempfield Area) tallied 21digs. Irwin, Chelsea Scufaro (Geneva, OH/Geneva), and Kelly Reynolds (Upper Saint Clair, PA/Upper Saint Clair) all had seven digs each. Reynolds added 32 assists. Christine Sumner (Dublin, OH/Bishop Watterson) assisted on three blocks.
The Eagles face a tough test tomorrow. Juniata plays #5 Cal-Lutheran at 10 a.m. followed by the host #9 Tigers at 2 p.m.