ASHLAND, Ohio – East Stroudsburg University opened its 50th varsity volleyball season with a split, defeating West Liberty before falling to Nova Southeastern on the first day of the Ashland University Invitational at Kates Gymnasium on Friday.

The Warriors (1-1) kicked off the season with a four-set win (25-19, 19-25, 25-19, 25-23) against 2023 NCAA Tournament qualifier West Liberty. Later, ESU dropped a straight-set match (25-18, 25-18, 27-25) to Nova Southeastern, which had received votes in the AVCA/Taraflex Preseason Division II Poll.

Notables vs. West Liberty

Freshman Kelly Crites, playing in her home state, led the Warriors with 17 kills on 41 attempts (.293). She also recorded five digs, one service ace, and two assists.

Anna Coulter contributed 12 kills on 22 attempts, hitting an impressive .455. Allison Birtcil reached double digits with 10 kills, adding five digs and two block assists.

Taylor Haan distributed 39 assists—nearly 10 per set—and collected seven digs. Defensively, Leonar Chabel led with 10 digs, while Makaela McComas added three service aces and six digs.

How It Happened vs. West Liberty

ESU took control early, building an 11-4 lead in the first set. Although West Liberty reduced the deficit to five points, the Warriors responded with a 4-1 run to extend their lead to 17-9, eventually winning the set 25-19.

West Liberty bounced back in the second set, pulling ahead 12-7. ESU tied the score at 14-14, but a 9-2 run by West Liberty secured the set, 25-19.

The third set featured several lead changes before ESU pulled away late with a 4-1 run, clinching the set 25-19.

In a tightly contested fourth set, the Warriors pulled ahead with four consecutive points to lead 18-14. West Liberty fought back to take a 20-19 advantage, but ESU closed strong, securing the set 25-23 and the match 3-1 after a kill from Crites.

Notables vs. Nova Southeastern

Coulter, Birtcil, and Crites combined for 22 of the Warriors' 29 kills, with Coulter leading the way with a .429 hitting percentage. Haan tallied 22 assists, while Birtcil and Coulter each recorded four block assists. Defensively, Chabel and Hanna Garrison each posted 10 digs.

How It Happened vs. Nova Southeastern

The first set was tied at 12-12 before Nova Southeastern pulled away with a 9-1 run, taking a 21-13 lead. Despite ESU's late efforts, the Sharks secured the set, 25-18.

In the second set, the Sharks extended a 10-9 lead with a 12-3 run, winning 25-18 despite a late push by the Warriors.

ESU led 12-7 in the third set but couldn't hold off a Nova Southeastern rally. The Warriors escaped match points at 24-23 and 25-24, but the Sharks closed out the match with two straight kills to take the set 27-25.

Up Next

The Warriors close out their time in Ohio on Saturday with matches against D'Youville at 10 a.m. and Ashland at 2 p.m.