READING, Pa. – The Delaware Valley women's volleyball team opened the day with a straight-set loss to Rutgers-Camden before battling Alvernia to four sets, claiming the opening frame but ultimately falling 3-1 to finish the day 0-2.
MATCH ONE VS. RUTGERS CAMDEN, 0-3
Set One: 25-27
Set Two: 21-25
Set Three: 19-25
DelVal battled Rutgers-Camden in a tightly contested opening set, erasing an early deficit to stay within striking distance. Trailing 17-13, the Aggies rallied to even the score at 17-17 before a four-point run, fueled by two kills from
Camilla Garcia, put them ahead 22-19. Rutgers-Camden answered to tie the set at 22-22 and force extra points. DelVal pulled even at 24-24, but the Scarlet Raptors closed out the set for a 27-25 win.
The Aggies opened the second set with a 2-0 lead and stayed neck-and-neck with the Scarlet Raptors early. A three-point run, highlighted by a
Shanna Graham ace and a Garcia kill, gave DelVal a 10-8 advantage. Rutgers-Camden responded to regain the lead, but DelVal fought back, tying the set at 16-16 before moving ahead 18-16 behind kills from
Patricia Schwab Garrido and
Ariana Hernandez. The Scarlet Raptors seized momentum late, building a four-point cushion and holding off the Aggies for a 25-21 victory.
DelVal stayed competitive from the start of the third set, using a
Hayley Drinkard ace and a
Charlotte Kampf block to take a 3-1 lead. Rutgers-Camden answered with an 8-2 run to go ahead 9-5, but the Aggies responded with four straight points, capped by a
Sophia Freemont ace, to tie the score at 9-9. Kampf, Garcia, and
Monique Smith delivered key kills as DelVal remained within reach throughout the set. Trailing late, consecutive kills from Garcia cut the deficit to 21-19, but the Scarlet Raptors finished on a 4-0 run to secure the set, 25-19, and complete the sweep.
MATCH TWO VS. ALVERNIA
Set One: 25-23
Set Two: 21-25
Set Three: 24-26
Set Four: 18-25
The teams traded points throughout the opening set before a 6-1 run by the Golden Wolves gave Alvernia a four-point advantage late in the frame. DelVal responded with the help of several Alvernia errors to pull even. A kill by Kampf and a service ace from Garcia sparked a key stretch that put the Aggies ahead 21-18. The Golden Wolves answered with a 4-2 run to close within one point, but back-to-back errors sealed a 25-23 set victory for DelVal.
Alvernia flipped the script in the second set, racing out to a 5-0 lead. The Aggies battled back and evened the score at 10 before taking a brief two-point advantage. A kill from Kampf pushed DelVal's lead to 16-12, but the Golden Wolves responded with a decisive 9-2 run to regain control. Schwab Garrido and Smith combined for kills during a 3-0 Aggie spurt, capped by a
Samantha Wilton service ace that tied the score at 21. Alvernia, however, closed the set on a 4-0 run to even the match at one set apiece.
The Aggies carried momentum into the third set as a service ace from Alexander and a kill by Smith helped build an early lead. Alvernia repeatedly chipped away at the deficit, forcing five ties throughout the set. Kills from Schwab Garrido and Smith highlighted an 8-3 DelVal run that gave the Aggies a five-point cushion, but the Golden Wolves mounted a late comeback. Alvernia controlled play down the stretch, using an 11-4 run to edge DelVal 26-24 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Smith and Kampf continued to pace the Aggie offense in the fourth set, keeping DelVal within striking distance early. Alvernia created separation with a 10-4 run to build a six-point advantage, and although Smith and Kampf combined to cut the deficit in half, the Golden Wolves maintained control. Alvernia closed the match with an 11-7 run to secure the 25-18 set victory and a 3-1 match win.
DelVal returns to action on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Misericordia for a 7 p.m. match.
