HUNTINGDON, Pa.-The Juniata women's volleyball team opened day two with a tense 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 7-15) loss against #3 Wittenberg Saturday afternoon in Memorial Gymnasium.
The first set saw neither team led by more than four. With the score at 16-15, three straight Tiger errors helped JC build a bit of a cushion. Wittenberg closed the gap back to one at 23-22, but Grace Erskine (Mooresville, N.C./Community School of Davidson)mashed a kill to give JC set point. An Eagle attack error made it 24-23 before Morgan Edwards hammered a kill to end the first set, 25-23.
Eagles take the lead against Wittenberg! Set 1: 25-23! #JCWVB #d3vb #wingsup pic.twitter.com/n7e77MvmXC
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) September 8, 2018
The second set started similar to the first as neither team could build much of lead. Wittenberg started to slowly pull ahead, a kill by Alyssa Tavera (Whittier, Calif./La Salle H.S.)pulled Juniata back within one at 13-14. The Tigers put together a 5-1 run to venture ahead, 19-14, as JC called timeout. A Wittenberg attack error got JC within three, 17-20. But they got no closer as the Tigers took set two 18-25.
The third set saw Wittenberg build a 10-15 lead midway through the third set that forced a JC timeout. Two kills from Morgan Edwards (Lancaster, Pa./Penn Manor), several Tiger errors and a kill from Marie Gonsar (New Castle, Pa./Shenango H.S.) tied the score at 15-15.
Eagles tie up set 3 at 15! #JCWVB #d3vb pic.twitter.com/eM44DiVx0Z
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) September 8, 2018
The squads went back and forth before Wittenberg managed to pull ahead, 22-18. A kill by Moira Folan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic HS) followed by a kill and then a block by Gonsar made it 21-22. The Tigers scored three of the next four points to take set three, 22-25.
Set four was more of the same, as the score was locked at 19-19 before Gonsar put down another kill, a Dejia Danhi (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge)block and another Taylor kill made it 22-19. The Tigers made it 23-22, but a kill from Taylor gave JC set point and Edwards ended set four with a kill of her own, 25-22.
Eagles take set four , 25-22. Wittenberg and Juniata are now tied at 2-2! #goeagles #JCWVB pic.twitter.com/W2B7HzHFsm
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) September 8, 2018
The Eagles took the first point of set five via a Danhi kill, but Wittenberg quickly took the lead. Taylor got the deficit down to one with a kill at 4-3, and a Tiger attack error made it 5-4, but Juniata got no closer as Wittenberg won set five 15-6.
