EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -- The East Stroudsburg University women's volleyball team opened conference play with a dominant straight-set victory over Kutztown Friday evening. Set scores were 25-20, 25-16, and 25-22.
The Warriors extended their win streak to four matches and improved to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in PSAC play. The Warriors have now won 19 of the last 20 meetings against the Golden Bears, including seven straight.
Jadyn Orava led the Warriors with 15 kills and three assisted blocks. Rylee Ruggiero followed with nine kills and a .333 hitting percentage, while Kailynn Dupre added eight kills, a .421 hitting percentage, and four assisted blocks. Kelly Crites rounded out the top contributors with seven kills and three service aces, while Harry Berry led the team with five assisted blocks.
Set 1: The Warriors opened the match with a 9-0 run, highlighted by kills from Orava and Dupre. The Golden Bears pulled within four at 14-10 and eventually cut the deficit to three at 16-13. ESU responded with a 3-0 run to extend its lead to 20-14. Kutztown answered with a 3-0 run of its own to make it 21-18, but an Orava kill and a block by Orava and Berry restored the Warriors' five-point advantage. Final kills from Ruggiero and Crites secured the first set for ESU, 25-20.
Set 2: Kutztown scored the first two points of the second set before the Warriors used a 3-0 run to take a 3-2 lead. A dominant 7-0 run then put ESU ahead 14-6, highlighted by five kills and a block. Kutztown came within three points, however the Warriors finished the set on a 5-0 run to take it, 25-16. The run included a pair of kills by both Ruggiero and Orava.
Set 3: ESU maintained an early lead before Kutztown took the advantage at 9-8. The Warriors responded with a 4-0 run to regain the lead, which included two Kutztown errors, a Taylor Wise service ace, and a Dupre kill. The teams traded points with ESU maintaining control, eventually building a five-point lead at 20-15. The Golden Bears then used a 6-2 run to pull within one at 23-22, but back-to-back blocks gave ESU the third set, 25-22.
Up Next
The Warriors return to action against West Chester on Friday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m.
