DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The Delaware Valley women's volleyball team faced its first conference challenge against Stevens dropping the match, 3-0, to break its three-game win streak at home.
It was a tight battle to begin the set with an
Emma Helverson service ace starting the Aggies on 3-0 run, highlighted by kills from
Monique Smith and
Victoria Tucker, to put DelVal ahead by four, 7-3. Two more kills from Tucker helped the Aggies to maintain the lead keeping at least a two-point gap until an attack error on
Gretta Schneider put the Ducks in a position to tie it up, 9-9. The teams knotted the score three more times before 4-0 run put Stevens ahead by four, 16-12. Three-straight service aces by the Ducks extended the lead by six, 20-14. Stevens maintained a 4-1 edge over the Aggies through the rest of the set for the 25-15 win.
Stevens provided trouble for the Aggies early on mounting a 14-6 lead before back-to-back errors put DelVal back into the scoring, 14-8. The Ducks put up another four points to create a 10-point advantage and forcing an Aggies timeout, 18-8. An error out of the timeout and a block for Smith brought the deficit down to eight, 18-10. The Stevens defense proved tough to overcome with the offense holding the 7-2 edge to take the set 25-12.
The Aggies offense found its momentum in the third set with kills from Smith tying the score twice. Stevens tried to pull away with a lead, but errors kept the Aggies in it, 9-9. The Ducks couldn't pull ahead by more than two points with the Aggies'
Olivia Deffendall and Helverson responding with kills to make a one-point game each time. Stevens created a three-point differential answered by Tucker to make it a two-point game, 17-15.
Samantha Wilton followed it up with a service ace paired with back-to-back errors from the Ducks to put the Aggies in the lead, 18-17. DelVal put up a fight, but Stevens held the 8-2 edge over the Aggies for the 25-20 win.
Tucker led the Aggies on offense with seven kills.
Gretta Schneider put up a team-high two aces.
Grace Wilson led the defensive efforts with 10 digs.
DelVal returns to action this weekend at the Penn State Abington Tri-Match on Saturday, Sept. 23 facing host Penn State Abington at 1 p.m. followed by Saint Elizabeth University at 3 p.m.
