Box Score

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – On the brink of giving away a two-set advantage, East Stroudsburg University got back on track just in time in the fifth set.

Senior Desiree Claxton had a team-high 15 kills, including four during a decisive 9-2 run to end the match as ESU outlasted Kutztown by a 3-2 final on Tuesday evening. Set scores were 25-20, 25-17, 24-26, 13-25, 15-11.

The victory ensures that the Warriors (16-12, 6-10 PSAC) will have their first winning season since the 2006 squad finished 21-14. ESU also completes a season sweep of the Golden Bears (8-20, 3-13 PSAC) for a second-consecutive season.

The win, though, did not come easy, as Kutztown fought out of a 2-0 hole and jumped ahead 9-6 in the final set. Claxton had two kills during a 3-0 run for the visitors to level up the score. After the Golden Bears claimed their final lead at 10-9, back-to-back kills by senior Courtney Miller and Claxton began a 5-0 stretch to put ESU in control. Claxton's final kill of the run was the match-clincher two points later.

Claxton added a season-high 21 digs to register her 37th career double-double. Sophomore Sarah Smith chipped in 12 kills while matching a season-high with 24 digs, and senior Rosa Veliky (23 digs) totaled 20+ digs for a 10th time this fall.

The Warriors trailed 13-9 midway through the first set, but won nine of the next 10 points following a timeout by head coach Kevin Rodgers to pull in front in the frame. ESU continued that momentum in the second set, with the Warriors never trailing after taking an early 8-2 lead.

The visitors were then four points from victory with a 21-17 advantage in the third, but the Golden Bears rallied to go ahead 24-22, and a kill by Brittney Moyer extended the match shortly afterwards. Moyer had a team-high 20 kills, including the 1,000th of her career, to lead the Kutztown offensive attack.

The Golden Bears hit .353 as a team in a dominant fourth set. ESU, though, ultimately came through to win its first five-set match of the year after four prior setbacks.

The Warriors out-blocked their opponent for a 23rd time in 28 matches, finishing with an 11-6 edge in tonight's contest. Sophomore Jasmine Williams led the way with six block assists, tallying 5+ rejections for a 10th time on the year. Sophomore Sam Dunphy added five block assists to match a season and career-high.

Claxton upped her career kills total to 1,195 with tonight's effort, leaving her five away from becoming the third player in ESU history to reach 1,200 in her collegiate career.

She will have two matches to reach that figure, as the Warriors close out their 2017 campaign with a pair of home contests over the weekend. ESU hosts West Chester at 7 p.m. on Friday and Cheyney at 1 p.m. the following afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.