Box Score (Game 1)  |  Box Score (Game 2)

PHILADELPHIA – Sophomores Sam Dunphy and Sarah Smith combined for 15 kills and 17 digs to lead East Stroudsburg University to a 3-0 sweep over Queens (NY) to conclude Saturday's season-opening tri-match at Holy Family.

The Warriors (1-1) were edged in five sets by the host Tigers in their first match to begin the day, with a late rally falling short after the visitors claimed both the third and fourth sets following an early 2-0 hole.

Dunphy registered eight kills and seven digs in a winning effort against Queens, while Smith totaled seven kills, backed by a .316 attack percentage, and 10 digs.

Senior Desiree Claxton chipped in her 30th career double-double in the opener, leading ESU in both kills (11) and digs (17).

The Warriors are back in action in a tournament at Georgian Court next Friday and Saturday. They will play two matches on both days, beginning with contests against New Haven (1 p.m.) and Pace (3 p.m.) on Friday.

Match 1: Holy Family 3, ESU 2 (27-25, 25-19, 22-25, 23-25, 15-6)

The Warriors jumped out to a 24-18 lead in the opening set, but the Tigers then rattled off seven consecutive points to take their first lead since it was 12-11 midway through, and they wrapped up the frame shortly afterwards.

ESU trailed for a majority of the second set to fall into a 2-0 hole, and the visitors were three points away from defeat with the score tied 22-22 late in the third. A solo block from Smith, block assists from sophomore Jasmine Williams and Dunphy, and an attack error extended the match into a fourth set.

That frame also went down to the wire, with a Dunphy block and a Claxton kill breaking a 23-23 tie to force a deciding set. Holy Family then regained control, winning 13 of the first 17 points and holding on from there to thwart the comeback attempt.

Smith supplied eight kills and 15 digs in the defeat, while senior Rosa Veliky (16 digs) and senior Erica Cunningham (10 digs) also reached double figures defensively. Cunningham also totaled 32 of ESU's 38 assists.

Chase Wassel fueled the Tigers on both sides of the court, finishing the match with a team-high 25 kills and 27 digs.

Match 2: ESU 3, Queens 0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22)

After hitting .110 as a team in the opener, the Warriors upped their attack percentage to .202 against the Knights (1-1). Smith's .316 attack rate led all team members with at least 10 attacks, while senior Courtney Miller added kills on all five of her attacks.

ESU led 10-9 midway through the first set when a kill from Dunphy ignited a 9-0 run to put the frame out of reach. The final eight points came on Smith's serve, with Dunphy tallying three kills during the stretch.

The Warriors took command at a similar point in the second set, using a 5-0 spurt to break open what had been a 10-10 tie. Queens would not get closer than three points for the remainder of the frame.

A 4-0 run late gave the Knights a 22-21 edge in the third and forced a timeout from first year head coach Kevin Rodgers. ESU responded with back-to-back kills from senior Sarah Fillman and Smith, and after a bad set from Queens, Miller clinched the match with her fifth and final kill to hand Rodgers his first victory with the program.

Williams added six kills and two blocks in the win, while Veliky chipped in 10 digs.

The Warriors are now 9-2 lifetime against the Knights following Saturday's victory. ESU also secured a 3-0 sweep when the two teams met at Koehler Fieldhouse in 2016.