FROSTBURG, MD. – The East Stroudsburg University volleyball team earned a split in its final two matches of the Frostburg State Invitational on Saturday inside Bobcat Arena. The Warriors opened the day by falling to Shaw, 3-0, before responding with a sweep of Bowie Sate.
In ESU's impressive season-opening victory over the Bulldogs, the set scores were 25-13, 25-12, 25-12 to help the Warriors finish the opening weekend 1-3.
Notables vs. Shaw
- Senior Sdney Stone led the Warriors with six kills and nine digs as graduate student Claire Choloux added five kills and seven digs
- Junior Makaela McComas notched a double-double with 21 assists and 19 digs while Makayla Baca (14) and Lainey Lichota (11) each had double digit digs
- Kamille Patrick (11) and Amari Earl (10) combined to lead the Bears with 21 kills
- Shaw finished with a .220 hitting percentage (40 kills, 12 errors) compared to a .066 clip (31 kills, 22 errors) for the Warriors
- The Bears held the edge in blocks (14-4), but ESU had more aces, 6-5
How it Happened vs. Shaw
- Shaw raced out to a 5-0 lead over ESU to begin the set, but the Warriors battled back to cut their deficit to three points at 8-5 and 10-7. However, the Bears would answer right back with a 9-3 run, using four kills and a handful of ESU errors to grab a 19-10 edge. ESU got within three points at 23-21, but Shaw closed out the set, 25-23, to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
- To begin the second set, the Bears used a 7-0 run after trailing 1-0, and held an 8-3 lead before ESU scored five of the next six points to make it 9-8. Shaw proceeded to go on a 7-2 run which pushed their lead to 17-10 and ultimately went on to beat the Warriors, 25-16, to win the set and extend their advantage to 2-0.
- It was all Shaw to begin the final set as the Bears jumped out to a 12-3 lead with the assistants of seven kills. The Bears continued to pull away from the Warriors but with the score at 24-12, ESU went on to score the next six points to get within striking distance. The next point was an attack error by ESU that resulted in Shaw winning the set, 25-18, and match, 3-0.
Notables vs. Bowie State
- Sophomore Anna Coulter recorded a game-high 11 kills on a .556 hitting percentage to go along with six blocks and three aces
- Senior Kaitlin Bruchhauser posted eight kills on an impressive .700 hitting percentage
- Kaylee LoPresto, Choloux and Stone combine for 15 kills with five a piece
- McComas notched a game-high 29 assists as well as four digs and two aces
- Baca (15) and Lichota (11) combined for 26 of ESU's 41 digs
- ESU finished with an impressive .360 hitting percentage (36 kills, 9 errors) compared to .038 (18 kills, 15 errors) for Bowie State
- The Warriors had an advantage in service aces, 15-2, and blocks, 6-3
How it Happened vs. Bowie State
- The Warriors got off to a fast start, scoring the first eight points with five kills and three aces before stretching their lead to as much as nine at 13-4. Bowie State settled in by using a 6-2 run to trim their deficit to 15-10 but two quick points forced the Bulldogs into a timeout. Out of the break, ESU closed out the set strong, using a 10-3 run to win, 25-13, and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
- With Bowie State leading 6-4 early in the second set, the Warriors ripped off an 8-1 run to grab a 12-7 edge. After a Bulldogs' timeout, it was all ESU the rest of the way as the Warriors outscored Bowie State, 13-5, which included the final five points to win the set 25-12.
- The teams went back and forth to begin the last set as Bowie State led by one at 6-5 until the Warriors produced a 9-1 spurt to go up 15-8. ESU continued to roll with another 6-0 run that propelled them to beat the Bulldogs in the set, 25-12, and 3-0 in the match.
Up Next
ESU travels to Buffalo next weekend for the D'Youville University Tournament, battling the Saints at 5 p.m. inside the College Center.
