Volleyball Ends PSU-Behrend Invite With Pair of Losses

ERIE, PA.  --  The Defiance College volleyball team lost both matches on the final day of the Penn State-Behrend Invitational in Erie, Pa.  The Yellow Jackets fell, 3-1, to host school PSU-Behrend, and then also fell short of Geneva (Pa.) College, 3-0.

Against PSU-Behrend, Defiance (1-7) took the early match lead by winning the first set, 25-21.  The second set featured the same scoring, just swapped outcome as PSU-Behrend took the set, 25-21, to even the match at a game apiece.  The Lions captured the third set by the same score, 25-21, before taking the overall match with a 24-18 fourth set victory.

For DC statistically, the duo of freshman Marissa Windau (Castalia/Margaretta) and sophomore Sydney Unger (Frankfort, Ind./Clinton Central) led the way offensively with 15 kills each.  Junior Ari Mahaffey (Porter, Ind./Chesterton) tallied 38 of the team's 43 set assists and freshman Caitlyn Meyers (West Alexandria/Twin Valley South) and senior Rebecca Kain (Orland, Ind./Prairie Heights) both had two service aces. 

Defensively, the Yellow Jackets recorded 86 digs as a team with Kain posting a match-high 31 digs.  Junior Makayla Dennis (Bryan) was second with 13 digs, Mahaffey had 12 digs and junior Dia Jackson (Detroit, Mich./Canton) added 10 digs.  Mahaffey led the team in blocks with two solo attempts.

In the final match of the invitational against Geneva, the Golden Tornadoes win a convincing 25-13 first set to put Defiance down 1-0 in the overall match.  The two teams then played a competitive second and third sets, but it was Geneva who'd come out on top in both with the final scores of 25-22 and 25-21 to take the overall match win.

The Yellow Jacket offense was led by Jackson who had 10 kills.  Windau and sophomore Danielle Robbins (Westland, Mich./Wayne Memorial) both added six kills.  Mahaffey had all but two of the team's assists in the match with 29.  Kain recorded both of the team's aces to round out the offensive leaders.

Kain was also one of two players defensively to finish in double figures in digs with 19.  Dennis was the other Yellow Jacket in double digits with 12 digs.  Jackson and Mahaffey also each added a block, both solo attempts.

Followig the conclusion of the invitational, Windau was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Defiance will next travel to Tiffin, Ohio for a non-conference match against Heidelberg University on Tuesday, Sept. 15.  The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.