Box Score
|
|
|
Michaela
McCrudden |
Kelly
Johnson |
Julia
Crilly |
|
|
|
Lizzy
Zimmermann |
Rachael
Cisto |
|
Box score
HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- In Landmark Conference volleyball, there's Juniata College and everyone else.
The six-time defending champion and ninth-ranked Eagles ended The University of Scranton's 2013 season with a 3-1 Landmark Conference semifinal victory Friday evening at the Kennedy Sports & Recreation Center.
The Royals, who put the wraps on a 12-24 season under first-year head coach Jamie Spangler, received 12 kills and 15 digs from junior outside hitter Julia Crilly (Rochester, NY/Aquinas Institute), 14 digs from senior libero Michaela McCrudden (Fort Washington, Pa./Mt. St. Joseph Academy), eight digs and five kills from sophomore outside hitter Lizzy Zimmermann (Livington, N.J./Livingston), and a combined 12 kills and five total blocks from senior Kelly Johnson (Pearl River, N.Y./Albertus Magnus) and sophomore Rachael Cisto (Oxford, Conn./Sacred Heart Academy).
Scranton didn't go down, however, without a fight.
Trailing 2-0, the Royals built an 11-5 lead in the third set and held on to post a 25-21 victory, taking a set from the Eagles for the first time since 1999 and for just the second time in the all-time series, which dates back to 1979. It was also the first set Juniata dropped to a conference opponent all season.
The Eagles, now 29-4, regrouped in the fourth set, jumped out to a 6-1 lead, and cruised to a 25-10 match-deciding win.
Crilly's 'double-double' in kills and digs was her 17th of the season and 49th of her career. She finishes her junior year with 408 kills, the 10th-most in a single season in school history, and 388 digs. For her career, she has 1,199 kills, fifth-most in school history, and 1,188 digs, 11th in school history.
Johnson played in her final match as a Royal, capping a career in which she had 336 kills and 261 blocks, the latter of which is ninth all-time in school history. Her 118 solo blocks are sixth all-time in Royals history, and her 143 block assists are 11th.
It was also the final game for McCrudden, who finished the season with 341 digs. She graduates with 1,076 career digs, 16th all-time in Scranton history, to go along with 599 kills.
Juniata (29-4) advances to Saturday's championship match on their home court against either Catholic or Susquehanna, who were squaring off in Friday night's other semifinal match.
--ROYALS--
