Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
LA VERNE, Calif. - In their final match of the weekend in Southern California, the University of Scranton volleyball team gutted out a tough five-set victory over host La Verne in the last match of the 2017 Leopard Invitational on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the Royals dropped a 3-1 decision to Austin. With the split, Scranton is now 23-2 overall on the year.
Scranton 3, La Verne 2 (25-22, 24-26, 26-24, 21-25, 15-12) | Box Score
In a classic to end the weekend, Scranton pulled out a five-set victory over La Verne, in a match that was a see-saw affair that saw both teams win tiebreakers in the second and third sets.
With the Royals up 2-1 entering the fourth game, La Verne roared back to take a four-point victory, sending the match to a decisive fifth set. There, Scranton pulled out a three-point victory, as the Royals improved to 5-1 in five-set matches for the year.
Overall, Scranton was led in the win by juniors Kristin Kirwan (Park Ridge, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy) and Megan Monastra (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria Academy), who each posted double-doubles in the victory. Kirwan had 17 kills, 15 digs, and four blocks (one solo), while Monastra finished with 15 kills, 17 digs, and three service aces.
Elsewhere, sophomore Victoria Capogna (Farmingdale, N.Y./St. Anthony's) also went into double-figures in kills with 10, while the Royals attack was set-up all match by freshman Kindler Norman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair), who finished with 40 assists. Norman also finished with 15 digs, as freshman libero Regina Schetroma (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) also had 16 digs in the win for Scranton.
Rounding out the top performances for Scranton in the La Verne win was senior Morgan Rentzheimer (Allentown, Pa./Parkland), who finished with 13 digs.
Austin 3, Scranton 1 (25-16, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23) | Box Score
In their opening match of the day against Austin, Scranton tried to claw their way back into the match after falling behind 2-0, as they captured the third set by five points. But, in the fourth game, Austin extinguished the Scranton comeback, handing the Royals their second loss of the season in four sets.
Overall, Kirwan led the Royals attack in the defeat with 19 kills, while Monastra had 14 kills of her own. Kirwan had another double-double in the game, finishing with 10 digs.
Elsewhere, Norman capped off a strong weekend with 43 assists and 19 digs, while Schetroma had 24 digs in the loss.
The University of Scranton volleyball team returns to action on Wednesday, traveling to Dickinson for a non-conference contest. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
--ROYALS--
