Grove City Takes Lions in Five Sets

GROVE CITY, Pa. – The Grove City women's volleyball team had three players with double-digit kills to defeat Penn State Behrend 3-2 in non-conference action on Wednesday night.

The Wolverines (1-4) picked up their first win of the season in a five-set thriller. Grove City took a two set lead at 25-8 and 25-21 to start, before surrendering the next two sets to the Lions (1-3). The Wolverines claimed the fifth and decisive set, 15-8.

Maria Boris tallied a match-high 16 kills for Grove City.

Hannah Saunders (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward) had a double-double with 23 assists and 14 digs. Rachel Frye (Leechburg, PA/Kiski Area) paced the offense with 14 kills to go with seven digs. Amanda Henry (Bridgeville, PA/South Fayette) added nine digs, eight kills and five service aces.

The Wolverines tried to mimic a quick first set with a 17-7 lead in the second set. The Lions, down 17-7, was able to pull within three at 24-21 but was stopped by a block from Boris and Emma Hartshorn at set point for Grove City and allowing them to take a 2-0 lead.

Frye tallied six kills in the third set, including three for the final offensive points for the Lions to make it 2-1. Needing a win to stay alive in the match, Behrend managed to hold off the Wolverines in the fourth. With a small one-point deficit, the Lions rallied behind four straight aces from Henry to take the lead for good and pull out a 25-18 win.

Grove City used a 7-0 run at the beginning of the fifth set to jump ahead 9-4. Three kills from Boris and two from Laura Buchanan helped the Wolverines collect the first win season on their home court.

Behrend returns to action on Friday against St. John Fisher in the Northwest PA Challenge at the Junker Center, beginning at 5 p.m.