The Gannon University women’s volleyball team continued to add to its win column last week – this time against PSAC rivals.
The Knights opened conference play with back-to-back home victories over Millersville, 3-1, and Shippensburg, 3-0, to improve to 13-1 overall heading into this weekend’s road matchups against Lock Haven and the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown.
Prior to Friday’s game against Millersville, the Knights took a moment to recognize senior Jordyn Thiery on getting her 1,000th career dig. She achieved the milestone against Ursuline on Sept. 16 and she finished theweekend with 1,047 digs – and more should be coming the rest of the season.
Millersville took the first set, 25-21, in the PSAC opener for both schools Friday, but it was all Gannon the rest of the way.
Redshirt junior Beka Smith keyed the second set win, 25-21, with six kills, and she finished the night with 12 kills and three blocks.
The third set would be a landslide win for the Knights, 25-9, and Gannon also took the fourth and final set, 25-15.
Key performances came from seniors Hannah Kren and Lauren Beck. Kren kept adding to her kill total for the season, this time netting 14 along with an ace and four blocks. Beck recorded seven kills and three blocks while Thiery finished with 11 kills, 15 digs, two aces and two assists.
For Saturday’s match with Shippensburg, the Knights were taking on a team that was off to an equally hot start, entering the match with a 12-1 overall mark and a 1-0 mark in PSAC play after a 3-0 sweep over Mercyhurst.
The first set had some great back-and-forth action, but Gannon held the lead for most of the way and finished with a 26-24 win. The second set was more of the same, but this time the Knights wound up winning 25-22.
The Raiders led for various portions of that set and held a 19-18 advantage at one point before Gannon scored three straight points on consecutive kills by Kren, Lexi Johnson and Smith to make it 21-19 in favor of the Knights, and they held to win the set.
The third set finished in a nail-biter, but just like the first set, Gannon would win 26-24.
Kren led the attack with 13 kills while Beck contributed 12 and Thiery 10. Beck, Thiery and Smith each contributed two blocks while Carolyn Knollman contributed 41 assists.
The dual wins left Gannon in a tie for the top spot in the PSAC’s Northwest Division with Edinboro at 2-0.
Lock Haven enters play Friday at 1-9 overall and 0-2 in PSAC play while Pitt-Johnstown brings a 7-5 overall mark and a 1-1 PSAC record into Saturday’s match.
MATTHEW NEWARA
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