SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The Concord University volleyball team split a pair of matches on the second day of the NDC Invite at Murphy Gymnasium.
CU (4-9) dropped a four-set match to Lock Haven, but bounced back to take down Salem International in four games in the night cap.
Match 1: Lock Haven 3 – Concord 1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-22, 26-24)
After winning the first set, Concord could not close out the second set—that would have given it a 2-0 match lead. Lock Haven used the momentum to win the match.
All four set were tight throughout.
In the first set, neither team led by more than three points. LHU staved off two set points, down 24-22, but a kill from junior outside
Alexi Pranckus and an error from the Bald Eagles gave CU a first-set victory. The middle hitting trio of sophomore
Emily Ellis, junior
Brooke Heck and senior
Shea Hoffman combined for nine kills in the set.
The Mountain Lions staked out a 15-12 lead midway through the second set. However, Lock Haven went on a 7-1 spurt to take the lead in the set as it hung on to tie the match at 1-1.
It appeared Concord was going to gain a 2-1 lead in the match after a kill from sophomore outside hitter
Ellie Lawrence and a service error from LHU put CU up 22-20, but the Bald Eagles scored the final five points of the set.
At the end of the fourth set, the Mountain Lions went from down 23-22 to up 24-23 after a kill from Ellis and an error from Lock Haven. But, once again LHU scored the final three points of the set to win the match.
Heck notched a match-high 18 kills. Ellis and Lawrence each chipped in 12 kills. Freshman libero
Lindsay Maddox recorded a career-high 41 digs. Senior setter
Casey Mandeville had 22 assists while sophomore setter
Jenna Mounts added 20 assists.
Match 2: Concord 3 – Salem International 1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-19, 25-16)
Concord took control of the match in the third and fourth sets to win in four sets.
A tightly-contested first set saw the game at 16-16, but CU scored nine of the final 12 points to win the set. In the run five kills from five different Mountain Lions as well as four errors from SIU.
The Tigers worked up a seven-point lead in the second set, and held off a late CU rally to even the match 1-1.
Just like the first set win, the Mountain Lions used a late charge in the third game. Tied at 18-18, three straight Salem International errors pushed CU to a 21-18 lead. Two kills from Heck and an Ellis kill finished off the third game.
Concord jumped out to a 12-6 lead to begin the set and had another 6-0 run later in the set to create separation to close out the match. The first run was spurred by two kills apiece from Ellis and Lawrence. The latter spurt was led by three aces from Mounts.
Ellis had another dozen kills to lead Concord. Heck added 11. Both setters, Mandeville and Mounts, had double-doubles. Mandeville had 22 assists and 14 digs. Mounts tallied 15 assists and 10 digs.
CU hosts Bluefield State 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.
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