ERIE, Pa. – The Baldwin Wallace University women's volleyball team faced Penn St. Behrend and Westminster College (Pa.) on day two of the Penn St. Behrend Invitational, earning two wins and creating a five-match win streak. The Yellow Jackets went 4-0 on the weekend to be named tournament champions.
Academic All-OAC and All-OAC performer senior outside hitter Cecelia Hamisch (Union/Northmont) was named MVP of the tournament and Academic All-OAC and First Team All-OAC selection senior outside hitter Ivy Earl (Howell, Mich.) earned All-Tournament team honors for their overall performance in the four matches. The two wins improve BW to a 7-3 overall record.
Match 1
The Yellow Jackets were very aggressive offensively against the Lions, posting 44 kills and hitting .272 as a team. BW notched a 17-11 lead in set one and maintained the advantage through the end of the set, earning the set one win 25-20.
BW didn't let up in set two as the Yellow Jackets hit .355 as a team and totaled 15 kills. The Yellow Jackets were down 21-20 before they scored the next five to win the set (25-21). It was BW the rest of the way as the Yellow Jackets got the 16-8 jump on Penn St. Behrend in the third game and didn't look back. BW earned the huge 25-15 victory in set three to clinch the sweep. The loss moves Penn St. Behrend to 4-3 overall.
Hamisch led the Yellow Jackets with 16 kills and hit .519. Earl tallied 12 kills and eights digs for BW. Also having a standout performance was freshman right side hitter Allison Weiner (Columbus/St. Francis DeSales) who posted nine kills and hit .350.
Freshman setter Lauren Reid (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) dished out 39 assists and added six digs. Freshman transfer libero Lauren Gardner (Cleveland/Saint Joseph), Academic All-OAC senior defensive specialist Isabella Moskowitz (Brighton, Mich.), and Academic All-OAC senior defensive specialist Morgan Martin (Seven Hills/Trinity) each tallied nine digs.
Match 2
BW notched the first two set wins by a 27-25 score to get the 2-0 jump. The Yellow Jackets tallied 16 kills in set one and 15 kills in set two. The Westminster Titans battled back to earn the win in set three and four by 25-18 and 25-20 scores.
Finding themselves in the tie-breaking fifth set, the Yellow Jackets were down 10-6 before inching their way back to go up on the Titans by one (13-12). Earning a point on a red card issued to the Westminster bench and a huge kill from Weiner closed set five 15-12. The loss drops Westminster to 6-2 overall.
Notching double-digit kills for the Yellow Jackets was Hamisch (16), Weiner (14), Earl (13), and Academic All-OAC senior middle hitter Isa Luciano (Willoughby/South). Holding down BW's defense was Gardner who posted a career and season-high 37 digs.
Reid earned her career and season-high in assists, tallying 52. Reid also added 11 digs for the Yellow Jackets. Earl also totaled 19 digs while Martin added 17. Luciano posted six total blocks and four service aces.
BW is back in action on Wednesday, September 15 as the Yellow Jackets return home to host Case Western Reserve University. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Ursprung Gymnasium.
