Orange battle through three-set loss to Penn State

Saturday, September 10

7 pm

Syracuse University

1-6,0-0

Penn State

5-3,0-0

Penn State

Syracuse

Orange battle through three-set loss to Penn State

9/10/2016 9:17:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score

Weaver adds nine kills to offensive effort

SYRACUSE, N.Y.—The Orange volleyball team split two matches on Saturday, beating Siena and losing to Penn State in three sets (22-25, 17-25, 12-25) at the Women's Building.

"I've coached a lot of teams, and usually when we play a team as good as Penn State, everyone plays the best game of their life," head coach Leonid Yelin said. "We're going to find out about ourselves in every match that we'll play from now on."

Freshman Mackenzie Weaver led the Orange with nine kills and sophomore setter Jalissa Trotter posted 14 assists. Junior Amber Witherspoon contributed a team-best seven blocks.

In the first set, the Orange and Nittany Lions battled back and forth with neither team opening a lead of more than five points. A kill by Anastasiya Gorelina gave the Orange a 7-5 lead and then Witherspoon blocked Penn State's kill attempt, tying the score at 12-12. The Orange rallied from behind using a 6-2 scoring run to get within one when Trotter blocked a kill attempt to make the score 23-22, but PSU rallied to score the final two points for the win.

The Orange kept the game close in the second through the first few points before surrendering a 5-0 run to the Nittany Lions to trail, 3-9. A pair of kills and a block from junior Leah Levert and Weaver brought the Orange within two points (10-12), but PSU began to pull away and went on a 9-4 run to sit atop Syracuse, 21-14. The Orange were able to grab three more points, but the Nittany Lions came back to close out the set on top, 25-17.

Penn State began the third set with momentum, leading the Orange 5-2. The points went back and forth between the two teams in the middle set until PSU earned an 8-1 run to lead 17-7. The Orange fought back and registered a trio of points, but the Nittany Lions were able to close out the set with a 6-2 run to win the game.

The Syracuse Orange will travel next weekend to play Northwestern, Illinois State and Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

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