Box Scores
AIC - L 3-2
Le Moyne - W 3-2

EAST STROUDSBURG - Senior outside hitter Abby Welch had 29 kills, freshman outside hitter Desiree Claxton added 23 and junior libero Maddie Hutchison had 58 digs as East Stroudsburg University went 1-1 - splitting a pair of five-set matches - on the first day of the ESU Invitational on Saturday at Koehler Fieldhouse.
 
American International outlasted ESU (25-23, 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-17) in its opening match, with Claxton recording 12 kills in her collegiate debut.
 
Welch had 18 kills in a come-from-behind win (25-21, 23-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-11) over Le Moyne in the Warriors' second match.
 
AIC (L 3-2)
 
Claxton (12 kills, .256) and Welch (11 kills, .219) had 23 of ESU's 41 kills with sophomore outside hitter Sydney Galoozis adding six. Sophomore Abby Koval (17 assists) and senior Annabelle Charlton (5 kills, 15 assists, 10 digs) split the setting duties.
 
Hutchison had 28 digs and redshirt junior Haley Mork had 16 to lead the back row. ESU had 10 team blocks with senior middle blocker Elizabeth Higley posting two block solos and four block assists.
 
Three players had double-figure kills for Le Moyne in Phoebe Lettington (14), Bailey Swan (12) and Caitlin Sobolewski (11).
 
Le Moyne (W 3-2)
 
ESU rallied for a five-set win led by hitters Welch (18 kills), Claxton (11) and Charlton (9 kills, 25 assists, 8 digs). Koval had nine assists and freshman Erica Cunningham added seven.
 
Hutchison had 30 digs, the second-highest in her career behind a 50-dig effort as a freshman in 2012. Koval and Claxton had nine digs each.
 
At the net, Higley had two block solos and four block assists, and sophomore middle blocker Hanna Bergen had three block solos and two block assists.
 
Andrea Buchanan had 15 kills and 14 digs to lead Le Moyne.


Saturday's matches
10 a.m. - ESU vs. American International - L 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-17)  (Box Score)
12 p.m. - Fairmont State vs. Wilmington - Fairmont W 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-21)
2 p.m. - American International vs. Bowie State - AIC W 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-12)
4 p.m. - ESU vs. Le Moyne - W 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 25-16, 15-11)  (Box Score)
6 p.m. - Bowie State vs. Fairmont State - Fairmont W 3-0 (25-6, 25-8, 25-10)
8 p.m. - Le Moyne vs. Wilmington - Le Moyne W 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 25-17, 22-25, 15-13)

Sunday's matches
10 a.m. - American International vs. Fairmont State - Fairmont  W 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-19)
12 p.m. - ESU vs. Bowie State - W 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-17)  (Box Score)
2 p.m. - Fairmont State vs. Le Moyne - Fairmont W 3-1 (25-17, 24-26, 25-21, 25-12)
4 p.m. - American International vs. Wilmington - Wilmington W 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-12, 18-25, 15-9)
6 p.m. - Bowie State vs. Le Moyne
8 p.m. - ESU vs. Wilmington