MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. – The Elon volleyball team defeated Youngstown State 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-17) at the Robert Morris Invitational in Moon Township, Pa. With the win, the Phoenix improve to 7-2, while Youngstown State drops to 4-3 on the season.
Traci Stewart earned match-high 12 kills in 20 chances for a hitting percentage of .600. Also earning double-digit kills were Caroline Lemke with 11 and Sarah Schermerhorn with 10. Emily Regan set the pace of Elon’s offense with 23 assists. As a team, Elon recorded five service aces, with Lizzie West leading the way with two.
Defensively for Elon, it was Schermerhorn who came up big for the Phoenix, notching three solo blocks. Stewart added on block to Elon’s total. Kelley Blakewood recorded a match-high 14 digs, while Stewart added 13.
Ruth Boscaljon led the Penguins in kills with eight. Ebony Barbosa and Haley Kapferer each earned seven kills. Karla Everhart paced Youngstown State’s offense with 30 assists.
Tasha Reid and Kapferer led the team in blocks with three assisted blocks a piece. Kaitlin O’Hara notched one solo block and one assisted block.
Earlier in the day, Elon defeated Robert Morris 3-2 (20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-18, 16-14) in a thrilling, come-from-behind opening match of the Robert Morris Invitational.
Elon fell behind 0-2, before fighting back to take the third set 26-24. The Phoenix posted a 25-18 victory in the fourth set that forced a deciding fifth set. Elon trailed 14-13 in the final set before scoring three consecutive points to take the set 16-14 and the match. The match marked the first five-set match the Phoenix have participated in this season. The team is 4-0 in matches decided by more than three sets.
Junior Emily Regan and freshman Traci Stewart each recorded a double-double in the win. Regan paced the Elon offensive attack with 44 assists, while also recording 11 digs. Stewart continued her success with 14 kills and 15 digs.
Sarah Schermerhorn led the team in kills with 15 for a hitting percentage of .556. Freshman Carolina Lemke added 10 kills in the win.
Defensively for the Phoenix, Schermerhorn notched five solo blocks and one assisted block. Stewart added three solo and one assisted block to the defense that held the Colonials to a .209 team hitting percentage. Elon had three players in double-digit digs in Kelley Blakewood (14), Regan (11), and Stewart (15).
For Robert Morris, it was Amanda Graham that led the team in kills with 19. Charla Drabant also reached double-digits in kills with 14. Pacing the offense was Alyssa Bennett with 43 assists.
Alaina Gibson recorded a match-high 18 digs in the effort, while Emily Wolthuis and Drabant added 11 each. The Colonials had five players record one block in the loss.
Elon returns to the floor tomorrow at 9 a.m. when the face Howard in the opening match of Saturday’s competition. The team will also face St. Peter’s tomorrow at 2 p.m. Full coverage of tomorrow’s matches will be available atwww.elonphoenix.com.
