Manhattan Drops Four-Setter to Bucknell

PHILADELPHIA - In its second match of the La Salle Invitational, the Manhattan College volleyball team (0-2) fell to Bucknell (2-0) by a 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, 26-24 count at La Salle University's Tom Gola Arena on Saturday evening.  The Jaspers suffered a three-set loss to Loyola Chicago earlier in the day.

Bucknell took an early 6-2 lead in the first set before the Jaspers battled back to tie the score at 8-8.  However, the Bison responded by scoring 11 of the next 14 points to open up a 19-11 advantage.  Manhattan rallied for three straight points to pull within five at 19-14, but a 5-1 Bucknell rally brought the Bison to set point.  After the Jaspers got a kill from Alexa Lampasona (Remsenburg, N.Y.), Bucknell closed out a 25-16 set win.

The Jaspers used strong serving to build an early 7-2 advantage in set two.  Manhattan had three service aces during the run, including two by Sarah Haselhorst (Naperville, Ill.) on back-to-back points.  After a block by Karlee Anderson (Paso Robles, Calif.) and Lampasona put Manhattan in front 13-9, Bucknell went on a 9-3 rally to take an 18-16 lead.  With the Bison up 20-19, Anderson and Lampasona combined on another block to spark a 5-0 spurt that brought the Jaspers to set point at 24-20.  Bucknell followed with three straight points before Ellie Wiekamp (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) slammed a kill to finish off the set, 25-23.

The third set was tight early, as there were 11 ties and six lead changes in the first 24 points.  Bucknell opened up the first significant lead of the set at 15-12, but the Jaspers rallied back within one when back-to-back Mariana Furquim (Curitiba, Brazil) kills made it 18-17.  However, that's as close as Manhattan would get, as the Bison scored four of the next five points to push their lead back to four, 22-18.  Bucknell took the set, 25-19, to go ahead 2-1 in the match.

Manhattan got kills from Furquim, Lampasona and Wiekamp to open the fourth set before Bucknell rallied to tie it at 4-4.  The Jaspers went back in front when consecutive Wiekamp kills made it 6-4, but the Bison again battled back, scoring seven of the next 10 points to take an 11-9 advantage.  After Manhattan forced a 17-17 tie, Bucknell used a 4-0 spurt to go back in front, 21-17.  The Bison reached match point at 24-21, but the Jaspers refused to go down quietly, claiming the next three points to tie the score once again.  Bucknell earned its fourth match point on a kill by Karen Campbell, and Campbell slammed another kill on the next point, sealing the set, 26-24, and the match, 3-1, for the Bison.

Wiekamp and Furquim both had double-doubles for Manhattan.  Wiekamp finished with 17 kills and 10 digs, while Furquim tallied 10 kills and 14 digs.  She also registered four aces.  Lampasona recorded 11 kills off the bench.  Anderson contributed six kills on .385 hitting to go along with three blocks.  Hollegn Henderson (Long Beach, Calif.) distributed 26 assists and Jamie Collareta (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) added 13 assists.  Haselhorst recorded three aces, as the Jaspers, after being held to one ace against Loyola Chicago, served nine as a team.  Manhattan outdug Bucknell 71-65, led by Kelsey Huntoon's (Monroe, Mich.) 23-dig effort.  The Jaspers hit .152 (51-27-158) as a team.

Campbell had 12 kills on .455 hitting and added three blocks for the Bison.  Kristen Titley and Kebah Edoho each contributed 10 kills.  Edoho also registered five blocks.  Kat Tauscher dished out a team-high 26 assists, and Meghan Wentzel recorded a double-double with 18 assists and 10 digs.  Morgan Mientus posted a match-high 25 digs, while Claire Healy tallied 16 digs to go along with seven kills.  As a team, Bucknell hit .264 (51-13-144) in the match.  The Bison also outblocked the Jaspers 8-3.