PSAC WEST WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL MATCH
GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS def. SETON HILL GRIFFINS 25-16, 25-27, 22-25, 25-21, 15-12
 
GREENSBURG, Pa. – Less than a day after opening the PSAC West season with a home win, the Gannon volleyball team added a road victory against a top conference rival on Saturday afternoon.
 
Coach Matt Darling's Golden Knights trailed two sets to one and then trailed 8-6 in the fifth set before rallying for a five-set triumph against Seton Hill at the Katherine Mabis McKenna Center. GU defeated IUP in three sets at home on Friday night.
 
Gannon improved to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC West. Seton Hill dropped to 11-2 and 1-1. Gannon is the two-time PSAC West defending champion.
 
"It feels good to get out of here with a win today," Darling said. "Seton Hill is relentless in pursuit of the ball, and we had a hard time defending Catie Flohr, who played a great match for them.  But, all the credit goes to our team, in particular Ali (Sorenson) for blocking Flohr in the fifth set and Hailey (Koch) and Emma for keeping a high level of play throughout the match."
 

What happened:
 
Gannon trailed Seton Hill 13-11 midway through the first set before GU took command. With senior libero Emma Hall (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) serving, Gannon reeled off 10 consecutive points. That run included two aces by Hall, three kills by senior outside hitter Journey Blevins (Richwood, Ohio/North Union) and two kills by senior right side Hailey Koch (Littleton, Col./Dakota Ridge). GU then coasted to the 25-16 win.
 
The Griffins bounced back to win two close sets, 27-25 and 25-22. In the second set, Gannon trailed 24-21 before rallying to tie the score at 25-25. Paige Cole's kill gave the set to SHU. The Griffins led most of the third set before the Knights trimmed the lead to 23-22. However, SHU scored the final two points.
 
Gannon forced a fifth set with a 25-21 win in the fourth, but the Knights had to work for the set as they led 23-17 before SHU rallied to make it 23-21.
 
In the fifth set, Gannon trailed 8-6 before the teams traded sides of the court. Gannon then scored four straight to make it 10-8. After Seton Hill rallied to take an 11-10 lead, GU's Carissa Treser (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) had back-to-back kills to give GU a 12-11 lead. An ace by Arslan and a kill by Koch sealed the set and gave GU the early season victory against a top PSAC West rival.
 
"Carissa had a really good match and continues to develop," Darling said. "We needed her down the stretch, and she came through."
 
 
By the numbers:
 
Koch led Gannon with 20 kills and hit .576, while Journey Blevins (Richwood, Ohio/North Union) and Treser each had 14 kills. Ali Sorenson (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way East) added nine kills and seven total blocks.
 
Junior setter Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey/Private Çankaya Doga Anatolian) finished with 47 assists, and she added 15 digs defensively. Emma Hall (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) led Gannon with 19 digs.
 
Gannon outhit Seton Hill .262 to .218.
 
Gannon was strong on the serve with nine aces to SHU's one.
 
Paige Cole paced Seton Hill with 22 kills, and Catie Flohr had 18.
 
 
What's ahead:

Gannon will visit archrival Clarion on Friday at 6 p.m.