Box Score

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Sophomore Sarah Smith had 12 kills and 13 digs, and senior Erica Cunningham added five aces and four blocks, as East Stroudsburg University earned a 3-1 upset victory at West Chester on Saturday afternoon. Set scores were 25-15, 25-16, 16-25, 29-27.

Sophomore Jasmine Williams added seven kills and six blocks, including the clinching kill in the fourth set for the Warriors (13-9, 4-7 PSAC). ESU earned its first victory over the Golden Rams (17-6, 7-5 PSAC) since 2006 to remain in contention in the PSAC Southeast division race.

The Warriors used two extended scoring runs to jump ahead in the first two sets, including an incredible 12-0 stretch to begin the contest. Cunningham had three of her five aces overall in that run, and ESU maintained at least an eight point advantage for the remainder of the frame.

Trailing 11-10 in the second set, Smith fired in a kill to tie up the score. She then stepped up to the service line and had a pair of aces to help complete a 7-0 spurt which put the visitors up by six. The Golden Rams got no closer than four the rest of the way, as an ace by senior Desiree Claxton ultimately sealed the set and put the Warriors up 2-0 overall.

The two sides were even at 9-9 midway through the third, but West Chester claimed four of the next five points and gradually extended its advantage. The home side won the final five points of the set to extend the match.

ESU fell behind 6-1 early in the fourth, but quickly rallied to tie the set at 6-6 and the two teams were not separated by more than three points from that point on.

The Warriors were down 23-21, but used a service error, a kill by Claxton and a block by Claxton and redshirt freshman Trea-sure Ketter to earn their first match point. That was the first of five match points for the visitors; West Chester fought off the first four before Williams' kill sealed the upset.

ESU held the Golden Rams to a .060 attack percentage overall, and the Warriors also had advantages in blocks (14-10) and aces (10-7). Cunningham's five aces were a new career-high. Smith, meanwhile, picked up her 10th double-double of the season.

Senior Rosa Veliky had 21 digs, leading the team defensively for a seventh time in the past eight matches.

Today's victory halted a 20-match winning streak for the Golden Rams in the series. ESU, with one game in hand, is now two and a half games back of first place in the PSAC Southeast standings with seven conference games still remaining.

The first of those seven PSAC contests will be next Friday, when the Warriors travel to Mercyhurst for a match scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.