Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG – Junior Desiree Claxton totaled 15 kills and 15 digs, and freshman Sarah Smith added a team-high 16 kills to lead East Stroudsburg University to a 3-1 victory over Millersville at Koehler Fieldhouse on Friday night.

Junior Rosa Veliky added a career-high 20 digs on defense for the Warriors (9-9, 1-4 PSAC), who earned their first conference win of the season. Claxton registered at least 15 kills and 15 digs in a match for the fourth time in her collegiate career.

Erin Harman (12 kills) was the lone player to reach double-digit kills for the Marauders (4-11, 1-4 PSAC). Set scores in the contest were 25-23, 18-25, 25-20, 25-17.

ESU came back from a 20-14 deficit to take a 1-0 lead in the match. After a timeout by head coach Allison Keeley, back-to-back kills from Claxton began a 5-1 Warrior run which cut the deficit to two points.

Millersville won the next point to increase its lead back to three at 22-19, but ESU then scored the next four points, capped by a kill from Smith, to claim its first advantage since the opening point of the contest. The Marauders briefly stopped the bleeding on a kill from Kelsi Ceriani, but kills from freshman Sam Dunphy and Smith sealed the set for the home side.

The Warriors took a 9-8 lead in set two after a kill by sophomore Tina Predojevic, but Millersville then claimed eight of the next nine points to jump ahead 16-10, and ESU would not get closer than four points the rest of the way.

The third set was all Warriors from the onset. ESU never trailed, and an 8-0 run midway through, with seven points won on the serve of Veliky, gave the hosts their largest lead at 19-8. The Marauders used a 7-0 run of their own to get back within four at 22-18, but a block by Dunphy and senior Hanna Bergen ensured the Warriors a 2-1 set advantage.

ESU had a commanding 13-7 edge in blocks for the match, led by a career-high eight from junior Courtney Miller (1 BS, 7 BA) and six block assists from Smith. Miller also added eight kills with a .227 attack percentage in a strong overall performance.

The Warriors again opened up an early lead in the fourth set. After a kill from Predojevic made it 4-3, ESU, the home side won six more points in a row on the serve of junior Katie Shumanis to move ahead by seven.

Predojevic then added two aces during a 6-0 stretch later on to make it 17-5. Millersville fought back to reduce the advantage down to 20-17, but five straight points for the Warriors, capped by a block by Miller and Claxton, closed out the match.

Junior Erica Cunningham had a season-high 24 assists in the win, while Predojevic chipped in 19 assists and a 15-dig output which was one shy of her season-best.

ESU looks to make it two wins in a row on Saturday afternoon, when defending PSAC champion Shippensburg heads to Koehler Fieldhouse for a 1 p.m. matchup. Tomorrow will also be the Warriors annual Dig Pink game, with donations accepted to benefit the PA Breast Cancer Coalition.
 
Notes:
 
Smith registered 10+ kills for a third match in a row and 13th time overall this season. Her six blocks also tied a season-high.

Veliky recorded double-digit digs for the eighth time in 2016. Her previous career-high was a 15-dig total in a five-set match against Caldwell on Sept. 3.