HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's volleyball team opened the 26th annual ASICS tournament by cruising to a 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-15) victory over Christopher Newport, Friday evening in Memorial Gymnasium.
Holding an early 6-5 lead, Juniata score seven of the next eight points to take a 13-6 lead. Dejia Danhi (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge), Marybeth Weihbrecht (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Marie Gonsar (New Castle, Pa./Shenango H.S.) all tallied kills during the run.
The Captains managed to get back within two, 16-14, but the Eagles took complete control from there. Danhi led the way as JC went on a 9-1 run to close the set as she tallied two kills and two block assists while Gonsar added two block assists of her own. The Eagles took set one 25-15.
Set two saw Juniata open a narrow lead and then slowly pull away. With the score at 11-13, kills from Danhi, two from Morgan Edwards (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor) and one Weihbrecht helped Juniata eventually push the lead to five before Sophia Gingrich (Minneapolis, Minn./Minneapolis Southwest H.S.) served up an ace to make it 19-13. Juniata wound up taking set two, 25-18.
JC came out dominating the third set to the tune of nine straight points. Victoria Taylor (Middletown, Del./Delaware Military Academy) tallied three kills and a solo block, while Danhi had a kill, a solo block and a block assist. Moira Folan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic HS) added four assists, a kill and a block assist during the run.
Christopher Newport rallied and closed within on at 10-9, forcing an Eagle timeout. Juniata quickly regained control of the set as Gonsar's third kill of the set made it 18-13. CNU got no closer the rest of the way. Taylor's ninth kill of the set made gave JC match point and Samantha Freese (Lewisburg, Pa./Red Land H.S.) put the game away with a kill of her own.
Juniata will kick off tomorrow with #3 Wittenberg at 12. They will then play the finale of the ASICS Invitational against Carnegie Mellon at 6:00.