MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – Gallaudet University battled back after dropping the first two sets Tuesday night but couldn't complete the comeback as Penn State Harrisburg remained unbeaten in United East women's volleyball play with a 3-1 victory inside the Capital Union Building.
The Lions (9-6, 3-0 United East) defeated the Bison (9-8, 1-2 United East), 25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 25-21, to remain atop the conference standings.
Gallaudet held an 18-17 lead late in the opening set before Penn St. Harrisburg closed on an 8-2 run. The Lions controlled much of the second set, although the Bison battled back to within two, 19-21, before PSH scored the final four points to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Bison responded in the third set, erasing a 7-10 deficit and eventually building a five-point lead. Penn St. Harrisburg pulled within one, 21-20, before GU scored four of the final five points. Senior outside hitter
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) put down a kill to give Gallaudet set point before a Lions attack error finished off the 25-21 win.
Gallaudet jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the fourth before the Lions answered and eventually took an 11-6 advantage. Consecutive kills from senior outside hitter
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas) and back-to-back service aces from first-year libero
Tori Harris (Stockbridge, Ga.) pulled GU to within one, 10-11. The Bison made one final push and trailed by one, 21-22, before the Lions scored the final three points to close out the match.
Tuesday's setback marked the first time since 2019 that Gallaudet has suffered two regular-season conference losses in the same season. Coincidentally, Penn St. Harrisburg also handed the Bison their second conference loss in 2019, when Gallaudet began North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) play 0-2.
Worley paced the Bison with 22 kills while hitting .290 and added 10 digs for a double-double.
Harris made an impact in her first appearance since Sept. 26 after missing the previous five matches. She finished with a team-high 16 digs and four service aces, both of which were her third-highest totals in a match this season.
First-year setter
Gracie Gloster (Clark, N.J.) passed out 32 assists and added nine digs. Gloster surpassed 500 career assists during the match and now has 520 in her young Gallaudet career.
Penn St. Harrisburg was led by senior outside hitter Brianna Ondishin Ribon, who recorded 16 kills and 12 digs while hitting .316. Reigning United East Offensive Player of the Week Camryn Wettstone added 12 kills and eight digs, while senior libero Kate Bukowski collected a match-high 21 digs.
BISON TRACKS
- The match featured 25 ties and 13 lead changes.
- Worley has tallied 20 or more kills in seven matches this season.
- Gloster has recorded 30 or more assists in eight matches.
- Zarembka's streak of 14 consecutive matches with at least one block came to an end Tuesday night.
- Penn State Harrisburg snapped Gallaudet's seven-match winning streak in the series and defeated the Bison for the first time since Sept. 22, 2019.
- GU holds an 11-3 advantage in the series against Penn St. Harrisburg dating back to 2010.
UP NEXT
Gallaudet returns home Saturday, Oct. 10, to host a tri-match with Keystone College and Regis (Mass.) College in the Field House. The Bison will face Keystone in a United East Conference match at noon, followed by Keystone and Regis in a neutral-site contest at 2 p.m. GU and Regis will close out the day at 4 p.m.
