Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG – Sophomore Sarah Smith totaled 12 kills and 13 digs, and senior Desiree Claxton added nine kills and a season-high 18 digs to lift East Stroudsburg University to a 3-0 win over Clarion on Saturday afternoon.

The Warriors (9-3, 1-1 PSAC) earned their first win over the Golden Eagles (10-4, 1-1 PSAC) since 2006. Clarion had registered sweeps in each of the previous seven meetings, including a 25-9, 25-20, 25-14 victory a year ago. Set scores today were 25-17, 25-21, 28-26 in favor of ESU.

For a seventh-consecutive match and the 11th time overall in 12 matches, the Warriors had the advantage at the net. They ended today's contest with a 10-3 edge in blocks, led by five block assists by senior Courtney Miller and four apiece by sophomore Sam Dunphy, sophomore Jasmine Williams and Claxton.

ESU was firing on all cylinders in the opening set, finishing with a .478 attack percentage as a team compared to .091 for the visitors. The Warriors had 12 kills on 23 attacks, and they committed only one attacking error.

It was more of the same in the second set, with the home side registering a .293 attack rate overall. Smith (6) and Claxton (5) combined for 11 of the team's 18 kills, and they also totaled 11 of ESU's 18 digs in the set.

Clarion attempted a comeback in the following set, using a 5-0 run to grab a 14-9 lead midway through. The Warriors responded with a 5-0 run of their own, and less than three points separated the teams for the remainder of the frame.

The Golden Eagles earned a set point at 26-25, but a kill from Miller and two Clarion attack errors completed the shutout.

Today's loss ended a three-match winning streak for the Golden Eagles. Two of Clarion's previous three setbacks this year had come to teams which reached the NCAA tournament in 2016.

Smith's double-double was her fourth of the season and the eighth overall in her collegiate career. She combined for 24 kills and 20 digs in ESU's PSAC-opening weekend.

The Warriors remain at Koehler Fieldhouse on Tuesday, as they will take on Pace in a non-conference matchup scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.