ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University volleyball team could not complete a comeback against Notre Dame in Mountain East Conference action at the Carter Center Friday night.
Concord (9-13, 3-3 MEC) lost the first two sets 25-19 and 25-17 before winning the third game 25-19, but lost the fourth set 25-22.
NDC (8-12, 1-5 MEC) pulled away in the first set as it finished on a 9-3 run to win the first game. After falling behind 7-3, Concord ripped off nine of the next 12 points to briefly take a 12-10 lead. The run was keyed by two service aces from sophomore outside hitter
Ellie Lawrence and a kill each from sophomore
Emily Ellis and junior middle hitter
Brooke Heck, but NDC finished strong in the first game.
Notre Dame gradually increased its lead in the second set as it comfortably won the second game by eight points.
However, the Mountain Lions fought back with a strong third set that saw Concord trail only once, 2-1, in the game. Up 13-12, CU created separation in the set on two kills from Ellis and one from senior setter
Casey Mandeville to open up a 17-13 edge. NDC creeped to win 19-17,but another kill from Heck and back-to-back kills from Ellis sealed the third set for Concord.
The Mountain Lions looked prime to force a fifth set after opening up an 18-14 lead after consecutive errors from the Falcons. However, Notre Dame scored the next eight points to open up its own four-point advantage and win the set by three points.
Mandeville recorded a career-high 36 assists and just missed a double-double with nine digs.
Ellis led the way in kills with 13 kills. Heck added nine and senior middle hitter
Shea Hoffman tallied seven.
Lawrence had five of the five service aces for Concord in the match as she set a career best.
CU hosts Urbana 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Carter Center.
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