Women's Volleyball Drops Two at King's College Tri-Match

Wilkes-Barre, PA – Penn State Schuylkill Women's Volleyball kicked off their season by competing in a tri-match hosted by King's College, losing 3-0 to King's and 3-2 to Saint Elizabeth.

King's College 3, Penn State Schuylkill 0

After a kill by King's to open the match, Ryliegh Sinko (Minersville, PA / Nativity BVM) connected with Sydney Morton (Norfolk, VA / Gateway Christian Academy) for Schuylkill's first point of the day. Schuylkill took their first lead when Maddy Robinson (Auburn, PA / Blue Mountain) executed a block on the following play.

A strong run midway through the set allowed King's to gain a double-digit lead. Schuylkill started to build momentum as kills from Mahea Kelley (Bowie, MD / Bowie), Morton, and Robinson kept them in contention. Consecutive blocks by Robinson, followed by a kill from Amira Douglas (West Hampstead, NY / Malverne), reduced Schuylkill's deficit to single digits. Douglas would deliver another powerful kill to bring Schuylkill within seven before King's closed out the first set.

A kill by Kelley interrupted an early King's run to kick off the second set. Morton and Robinson responded with kills on consecutive possessions, keeping Schuylkill within striking distance. The duo would later end a 3-0 run by King's, once again connecting on back-to-back kills. Schuylkill recorded seven kills and an ace to stay competitive, but King's ultimately secured the second set.

An ace by Kelley gave Schuylkill an early 1-0 lead to start the third set. A sequence of back-and-forth plays by Robinson and Morton resulted in three consecutive kills, giving Schuylkill a 4-0 advantage. King's answered with a 6-0 run, prompting a Schuylkill timeout. Another extended run by King's pushed their lead to double digits. Schuylkill continued to rally and trimmed their deficit late in the set, but King's ultimately claimed the match.

Morton led Schuylkill with 9 kills. Robinson added 6 kills and 4 blocks. Sinko finished with 17 assists and 8 digs. Sierra Wishnefsky (Ringtown, PA / North Schuylkill) led the team with 9 digs.

Saint Elizabeth 3, Penn State Schuylkill 2

Both teams exchanged kills to start the matchup, with Amira Douglas answering an early Saint Elizabeth point. Schuylkill jumped out to a 3-1 lead following an ace by Sydney Morton and an attack error by Saint Elizabeth.

After a 4-0 run that allowed Saint Elizabeth to take the lead, Schuylkill countered by scoring five consecutive points, ignited by a kill from Maddy Robinson. The teams continued to exchange points, with Schuylkill maintaining a slight edge.

With Schuylkill trailing 22-21 late in the set, Ryleigh Sinko answered a Saint Elizabeth kill with one of her own. Staying aggressive, Sinko then set up Morton for a kill, giving Schuylkill a 23-22 advantage. Morton would score again later in the set, securing the first set win for Schuylkill after a bad set by Saint Elizabeth.

A kill by Robinson got Schuylkill started in the second set. The set remained tightly contested, with neither team gaining a lead of more than three points. Down 22-19, Schuylkill rallied with three straight points, tying the game after a kill by Addie Stagon (Claysville, PA / McGuffey). However, Saint Elizabeth responded and went on to win the second set.

Trailing early in the third set, Stagon caught fire for Schuylkill, delivering three consecutive kills to tie the score at 5-5. Down 17-10, Schuylkill fought back to pull within a point. Schuylkill continued their comeback as Sinko set up Robinson for a kill, leveling the score at 24. Schuylkill's determination paid off with back-to-back crucial blocks from Robinson and Douglas, sealing the third set victory for Schuylkill.

Following a Schuylkill score to open the fourth set, Saint Elizabeth earned a sizeable lead and maintained it throughout the set, Saint Elizabeth carried their momentum over to the next set, ultimately winning the matchup against Schuylkill 3-2.

Robinson and Stagon led Schuylkill with 9 kills each. Sinko finished with 24 assists and 14 digs. Also tallying 14 digs was Sierra Wishnefsky.

What's Next:

Schuylkill will continue their five-game road stretch against NCAA Division III opponent University of Valley Forge on Friday, September 6^th. Start time is set for 7:00 p.m.