The Gannon University women’s volleyball team saw its season-long winning streak end at 10 at last weekend’s Notre Dame-Ursuline tournament.
The Knights came into Saturday’s final day of the tournament with a 10-0 record, but saw that streak end with a 3-0 loss to Ohio Valley University at South Euclid, Ohio.
Gannon opened the tournament with back-to-back wins Friday over Ursuline and Davis & Elkins College, extending its 8-0 mark to 10-0.
Right from the start, though, that perfect record was in jeopardy when the Knights faced offagainst Ursuline.
The first two sets were very closely fought battles between the two teams, and both ended 26-24 in favor of Gannon. The third set was where Gannon widened the gap with a 25-19 victory.
This game showed some spectacular performances once again by redshirt junior Beka Smith and junior Kelsey Ansec, as they combined for 24 kills.
Sara Crandall continued to show her skills at serving, recording four aces.
Gannon faced off against Davis & Elkins College in the second game, and the Knights did nothing but show their dominance in this one.
Gannon opened with a 25-18 win, followed with a 25-14 decision and wrapped up the match with a 25-20 triumph.
Ansec matched her kills from the earlier game with 12 and had two blocks. Senior Hannah Kren did much the same in getting seven kills in this game, one kill better than her previous game.
Sophomore Carolyn Knollman continues to play well as Gannon’s starting setter, this time by totaling 53 assists in two games on the day.
The final game of the tournament was against Ohio Valley University and that would prove to be the Knights’ first loss of the season.
The first set ended in a 25-23 OVU win, and the Knights dropped the next two sets, 25-17 and 25-16.
Ansec led Gannon with six kills while Lauren Beck and Jordyn Thiery each finished with five.
The 10-game winning streak was the Knights’ longest since 2014, when they had a 13-game streak. That was the same year Gannon advanced to the NCAA tournament.
On Tuesday, the Knights set their sights on redemption as they headed to Daemen College.
The long ride their proved to put the ladies in the right mindset as they beat the Wildcats 3-0. Although Daemen fought hard the Knights still came out on top, the first match was won 25-21, the second 25-22 and the final set 25-20.
Ansec lead the teams in kills with 13, followed by redshirt junior Smith with nine and Kren with eight. Freshman Ally Smith had one ace, Smith had six blocks, Beck had four and sophomore Lexi Johnson had three. Knollman had 37 blocks, and Thiery and Crandall had two apiece. Crandall contributed 15 digs, Knollman had 10 and Kren posted seven to the stat sheet.
The Knights are now 11-1 overall after Tuesday night’s win and Saturday’s loss to Ohio Valley.
Gannon will return to action in a pair of PSAC matches this weekend at home.
The Knights will entertain Millersville at 7 p.m. Friday at the Hammermill Center and then host Shippensburg in a 2 p.m. matchup Saturday.
MATTHEW NEWARA
[email protected]
