ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon University Volleyball team kicked off its 2017 home invitational with a pair of 3-0 sweeps over Glenville State and Hillsdale on Friday, Sept. 8, at the Hammermill Center. Gannon dropped the Lady Pioneers, 25-17, 25-7, 25-19 and defeated the Chargers, 25-23, 25-21, 25-13.

Gannon 3, Glenville State 0
Gannon began the opening set with an Ally Smith (Penfield, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) kill. The Lady Pioneers and Lady Knights battled back-and-forth staying within one point until Gannon took a 12-10 lead on a Bailey Hanson attack error from Glenville State. Two Rebekah Smith (Churchville, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) kills aided the Lady Knights in extending their lead to 19-16. Gannon closed out the set on a 6-1 run for a 25-17 victory.

Gannon dominated set two. The Lady Knights held Glenville State to seven points in the set, a season-best for Gannon. The Lady Knights jumped out to quick 13-2 lead on kills from Ally Smith (Penfield, N.Y./Webster Schroeder), Rebekah Smith (Churchville, N.Y./Churchville-Chili), Toni Leitshuh (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) and Ashley Kerestes (Loves Park, Ill./Rockford Lutheran). Gannon continued its dominance with an additional 12-5 run to close out the set, 25-7.

Set three saw the Lady Pioneers hanging around midway through the set. Tied at nine, freshman Aubree Lanman (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) took an Ashley Beyers (Lanark, Ill./Eastland) pass and broke the tie with a liner to the floor. GU wouldn't give up the lead the rest of the set. The lead ballooned to 22-14 thanks to kills from A. Smith, Laura Bebinger (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and Johanna Gregory (Rochester, N.Y./Penfield). Gannon closed out the set with a 25-19 victory, also clinching the match.
 
Gannon 3, Hillsdale 0
Set one was a game of runs. Hillsdale moved out to a 3-1 lead before Gannon swung back for an 8-6 advantage. Down 11-9, Kelsey Ansec (Solon, Ohio/Solon) turned up the intensity and had back-to-back kills. Gannon took the set's first three-point advantage at 19-16 with a Lexi Johnson (Chandler, Ariz./Basha) liner. That was the largest lead of the set by either team. Gannon snuck past the Chargers, 25-23.

The second set was just as intense as the first. A Maggie Wilhelm (Euclid, Ohio/Lake Catholic) kill and Carolyn Knollman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Ursula Academy) service ace jolted the Lady Knights with early energy. Gannon held an early 8-7 lead. Hillsdale made a run midway through the set. The Chargers used an 8-4 run to take a 15-12 lead before Kerestes squashed HC momentum with one of her season-high six kills. That spurred a string of six-straight points for Gannon as they reclaimed an 18-15 lead. The Lady Knights went on to win 25-21.

The Lady Knights wasted no time to establish an early 7-3 lead. Hillsdale was determined not to let Gannon pull away as the Chargers got back to even at eight points apiece, forcing a Lady Knight timeout. Gannon used that stoppage to score eight of the next 10 points and take a 16-10 lead. Hillsdale used a timeout of its own to regroup but that didn't stop the home momentum. Gannon continued into another 9-3 run to take the final set, 25-13.

Head coach Matt Darling was happy with the team's performance in the two matches.

 "We had a very good day today, mostly because the players really handled the ball well in both matches.  I'm happy to get two wins tonight."

The Lady Knights will be back on the floor Saturday against Saint Michael's (11 a.m.) and Findlay (3p.m.) in the Gannon/Mercyhurst Invitational.

Highlights
Glenville State - https://vimeo.com/233074228
Hillsdale - https://vimeo.com/233076153
 
Webcast Replays
Glenville State - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/gannon/portal.htm?eventId=376192&streamType=video
Hillsdale - https://portal.stretchinternet.com/gannon/portal.htm?eventId=376193&streamType=video