SELINSGROVE, PA- The #8 Juniata women's volleyball team traveled to Susquehanna for a weeknight matchup with the Crusaders in the first Landmark conference match for both teams. After dropping the first set, the Eagles recovered to take the next three to win 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-19) on Tuesday night at Houts Gymnasium.
Four Eagles got into double digits in digs led by Brittani Young's (Columbia, PA/Hempfield Area) 24. Bryce Arnold (Shippensburg, PA/Shippensburg Area) added 15, Christine Irwin (State College, PA/State College) had 12, and Chelsea Scufaro (Geneva, OH/Geneva) picked up 10. Mar-Jana Phillips (Carson, CA/Rolling Hills Prep) contributed 12 kills. Christine Sumner (Dublin, OH/Bishop Watterson) had eight kills and five assisted blocks. Megan Moroney (Mentor, OH/Mentor) tallied six kills and four assisted blocks. Kelly Reynolds (Upper Saint Clair, PA/Upper Saint Clair) led in assists with 38 while also chipping in seven digs.
Susquehanna jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first set and went ahead 8-4 on a Juniata attacking error before the Eagles rallied to tie it at 10. Another Eagles error made it 11-10 Crusaders and they never relinquished that lead. Juniata closed it to a two-point gap (24-22) late in the set but a Marykate Sherkness kill ended the set and put SU ahead 1-0.
In the second set, Susquehanna kept it close for the majority of the match, at one point trailing by just one, 14-13, but the Eagles scored the final four points of the game to go on to the 25-17 victory. JC had no trouble in the third game as it led 19-7 at one point before taking it 25-12.
Juniata led by five, 12-7, early in the fourth set and went ahead by nine, 22-13, with just three points needed to close out the match. The Crusaders rallied, though, scoring the next five points for a 22-18 score. The Eagles did not let SU pull any closer and won the match on a service ace.
The Eagles return home to host Landmark matches on Saturday. The Eagles will play Elizabethtown at 11 a.m. and wrap up the day with Moravian at 6:30 p.m.
