Ally Smith Action Shot
Matt Mead Photography LLC
Junior Alexandra Smith recorded her 17th career double-double during Gannon's season-opening victory.
3
Winner Gannon University GAN 1-0
1
Lake Erie LEC 0-1
Winner
Gannon University GAN
1-0
3
Final
1
Lake Erie LEC
0-1
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Gannon University GAN 27 25 25 25 (3)
Lake Erie LEC 29 19 19 19 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

No. 13 Gannon Women's Volleyball Team Opens Season with Victory against Lake Erie

THE RUNDOWN
  • Final Score: No. 13 Gannon 3, Lake Erie 1
  • Set Scores: 27-29, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19
  • Records: Gannon (1-0 in 2018-19, 32-7 in 2017-18), Lake Erie (0-1 in 2018-19, 26-9 in 2017-18)
  • Location: Amherst, N.Y. - Charles L. & Gloria B. Lumsden Gymnasium
  • The Short Story: The No. 13 Gannon women's volleyball team overcame a lengthy 29-27 opening-set loss with three consecutive 25-19 set wins to earn a 3-1 victory against Lake Erie Friday night in the season opener at the Daemen Volleyball Classic presented by Millennium Buffalo.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HEAD COACH MATT DARLING'S REACTION
  • "It is good to have a match under our belt. We have much to learn, and playing good teams like Lake Erie will help us learn where we need to make improvements."

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Gannon dropped the season's opening set that included 12 ties and seven lead changes.
  • The tight opening set featured ties at four, five, six, 11, 12, 16, 18, 24, 25, 26 and 27.
  • The Lady Knights snapped an 18-18 tie with a 6-2 run. Senior Alexandra Smith's (Penfield, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) kill pulled the squad within a point of victory at 24-20.
  • However, Lake Erie rallied with four consecutive points to tie the contest at 24.
  • Gannon had match point two more times, but was unable to close the set out.
  • Trailing 27-26, Lake Erie generated three straight kills to earn a 29-27 victory.
  • Gannon led from start to finish during the second set. The Lady Knights scored the first three points with two kills and an attack error.
  • The lead grew to 10-3 after another kill from Smith followed by a pair of service aces from sophomore Ashley Beyers (Lanark, Ill./Eastland).
  • It was the start of an 11-5 blitz that pushed the difference to 18-8 on a service ace by freshman Vale Torres (Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Notre Dame).
  • Lake Erie tried to rally with a 9-2 run that pulled the Storm within 22-19.
  • Gannon was then the beneficiary of a service error and attack error, before freshman Ashley McClung (Charleston, W.Va./George Washington) tied the match at one set apiece with a kill.
  • The Lady Knights committed only one error en route to a .429 hitting percentage and 25-19 victory during the third set.
  • Lake Erie initially grabbed a 4-1 advantage and led 14-11 midway through the stanza.
  • A 9-1 rally pushed Gannon back in front 20-15. Smith had three kills during the run.
  • The Lady Knights maintained a lead between four and six points the rest of the way before earning a six-point win.
  • Gannon and Lake Erie battled to seven ties through the first 16 points of the fourth set.
  • Tied at eight, the Lady Knights took the lead for good with a Lake Erie attack error and service ace by junior Toni Leitshuh (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central).
  • Moments later, four consecutive points gave Gannon an 18-12 edge. Beyers recorded two of those points with service aces.
  • Lake Erie never got closer than four points the rest of the way, before a kill by sophomore Ashley Kerestes (Loves Park, Ill./Rockford Lutheran) clinched a 3-1 match victory for the Lady Knights.

GAME NOTES
  • Gannon out-hit Lake Erie in every set, finishing with a .194-.031 overall edge.
  • The Lady Knights held advantages in kills (46-35), assists (45-33), service aces (12-8), digs (58-49) and blocks (13-5).
  • Smith recorded her 17th career double-double with a team-high 18 kills and 10 digs.
  • Freshman Lauren Sampson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) produced 11 kills and 10 digs during her collegiate debut.
  • Beyers generated her ninth career double-double with 36 assists and 12 digs.???????
  • Leitshuh completed Gannon's foursome with double-digit digs, producing 13.
  • Eight different Lady Knights recorded a block and seven had kills.
  • The contest featured 27 ties and 12 lead changes.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon is ranked No. 13 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Top 25 Poll.
  • The Lady Knights enter the season with only one senior after graduating seven student-athletes from last year's NCAA Division II Final Four team.
  • Gannon won its season opener for the third consecutive season.
  • The Lady Knights remained undefeated against the Storm in five all-time meetings.
  • Lake Erie is the defending Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) East Division champion, finishing the 2017 campaign with a 26-9 record.
  • Gannon's 13 blocks were its most since having 18 during a 3-2 victory at Seton Hill on October 13, 2017.
  • The Lady Knights were picked to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Northeast Division according to the league's preseason coaches poll.
  • The Storm was predicted to place second in the GMAC East Division according to its preseason coaches poll.
  • Friday's contest is the first of a season-opening 13-match road swing. The Lady Knights' home opener is slated for Friday, September 21 against Millersville at the Hammermill Center.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon concludes play at the Daemen Volleyball Classic Saturday, August 25 with a pair of matches.
  • The day begins against St. Rose (N.Y.) at 10:30 a.m., before concluding against the host school Daemen at 6 p.m.
  • The Lady Knights are 9-1 all-time against Daemen, but have never played St. Rose.
  • Outlets to follow both matches include a live video broadcast (http://eccsportsnetwork.com/landing/index) and live gameday statistics (http://sidearmstats.com/daemen/wvball).
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