LA VERNE, CA – The No.2 Juniata women's volleyball team (19-1, 5-0 Landmark) defeated Whittier College 3-0 (25-21, 33-31, 25-16) Friday night in day one of the Leopard Invitational hosted by the University of La Verne. The Eagles traveled over 2,552 miles to face their west coast competition.
While in California, the team will also get some time to connect with Juniata alumni.
The score would be tied at 15 in the first set before the Eagles began to pull away from the Poets. A brief run put Juniata up 20-16. Whittier would put together a run of their own but the Eagles took the win 25-21.
In the second set, Juniata got out to a dominating 14-4 lead. The Poets climbed back into the match and would go point-for-point against the Eagles until an attack error and a kill from Megan Moroney (Mentor, OH / Mentor) gave Juniata the win 33-31.
Moroney recorded 11 kills against the Poets and averaged a .455 hitting percentage. Freshman Glen Brumm (Oro Valley, AZ / Canyon Del Oro) made 11 kills on 25 attacks with three errors for a .320 hitting percentage. Mar-Jana Phillips (Carson, CA / Rolling Hills Preparatory) followed with nine kills.
Marybeth Weihbrecht (Mechanicsburg, PA / Cumberland Valley) recorded six kills on 10 attacks for a .500 hitting percentage.
Kelly Reynolds (Upper Saint Clair, PA / Upper Saint Clair) led Juniata with three service aces and 46 assists.
Defensively, Katie Byrne (Annapolis, MD / Broadneck) led with 20 digs.
As a team Juniata averaged a .325 hitting percentage with 53 kills, 13 errors and 123 total attacks. They held Whittier to a .124 hitting percentage off 34 kills, 19 errors and 121 attacks.
Up next for Juniata in their west coast journey at the Leopard Invitational is UC Santa Cruz at 6pm EST and the invite's host, No. 20 La Verne, at 9pm EST.