NEW CONCORD, Pa.- The #12 Juniata women's volleyball team had to fend off a near reverse sweep as Wittenberg took them to five sets, 3-2 (25-10, 25-18, 18-25, 19-25 15-8), Saturday afternoon as the Eagles played their final match of the Muskingum Invitational. 

Juniata totally dominated the first set, hitting .405 with 16 kills as they blitzed the Tigers to the tune of a 25-10 score line in set one. It was close early with the score at 10-6, but a 7-0 surge from JC gave them some breathing room as they closed the set on a 15-4 run. 

The second set was tighter, with the Tigers pulling even at 16-16 midway through the set. The Eagles took seven of the final eight points to take set two, 25-18. 

Wittenberg used a 5-0 run midway through the third set to take the lead at 11-15 and the Eagles never recovered the Tigers stayed alive, 18-25. 

Juniata held a 17-15 lead late in the fourth set, but the Tigers rattled off seven straight points to make it 22-17. The teams traded points as the Eagles got within four at 19-23, but a kill and an ace ended set four in favor of the Tigers 19-25 to send the match to a fifth set. 

JC took the first four points of the final set on a Wittenberg service ace and three kills from Kennedy Christy (Saxonburg, Pa. / Knoch HS). The Tigers never managed to get closer than three the rest of the set as Juniata capitalized on several Wittenberg errors to take set five and the match, 15-7. 

This was the first time Juniata had played a fifth set all season.  

Victoria Taylor (Middletown, Del. / Delaware Military Academy) tallied 22 kills while hitting .339 to go with three digs while Christy had 16 kills (.257) and 11 digs. Kiona Sky Rousset-Hernandez (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico / Colegio Bautista de Carolina HS) had a match high 21 digs while Olivia Foley (Coldwater, Mich / Coldwater HS) had a season high 52 assists to go with 19 digs and four kills. 

The Juniata women's volleyball team returns to action this Wednesday at Catholic at 7:00.