SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton volleyball team (0-1) dropped a five-set heartbreaker to the Swarthmore College Garnet (1-0) in the 2023 season opener for both teams on Friday evening at the John Long Center in Scranton.
Swarthmore 3, Scranton 2 (28-30, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22, 13-15)
Swarthmore led 11-10 midway through the first set before a service error led to five straight points for the Royals and a kill by senior Stephanie Margolies (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) made it 15-11 in favor of the hosts. The Garnet were able to battle back and tied things at 18 apiece as the two teams then traded points for much of the remainder of the set. Scranton held a 28-27 lead late in the set, but Swarthmore ripped off three straight points to take the 30-28 victory.
The Royals registered six of the first seven points in the second set including a pair of kills from Margolies and a pair of service aces by sophomore Deanna Whelpley (Congers, N.Y./Immaculate Heart Academy) that made it 6-1. Swarthmore responded with a run of their own to cut the advantage back to a pair at 11-9, but Scranton answered with five straight to open up a 16-9 advantage. Kills from Whelpey and junior Catherine O'Sullivan (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber) eventually helped close out the 25-19 win to even the match at one apiece.
In the third set, the two sides traded punches and things were deadlocked at 12 apiece following a Margolies kill, but the Garnet then scored the next five points for a 17-12 lead. Scranton cut the lead back to three at 23-20 before Swarthmore used consecutive kills to take a one-set lead.
The Garnet raced out to a 14-5 advantage in the fourth set, but Scranton did not go away and drew back within four at 16-12 following a service ace by sophomore Maddie Forry (Reading, Pa./Exeter Township). Swarthmore held a 17-12 lead before a 7-0 Scranton run that included a pair of kills from Whelpley and a Garnet attack error that made it 19-17. Whelpley added two more service aces for a 22-18 advantage and sophomore Erin Gretsky (Middletown, N.J./Saint John Vianney) closed things out with a kill that forced a decisive fifth set.
Swarthmore opened up an early 4-2 lead in the fifth set, but Scranton battled back to even things at seven apiece following a kill from junior Erin Keaveney (Collegeville, Pa./Villa Maria Academy). The Royals then used four straight points that included consecutive service aces by fellow junior Gianna Detorie (Rumford, R.I.) and a Keaveney kill that opened up a 13-11 advantage. However, the Garnet were able to tally the final four points to close out the victory.
Margolies registered 16 kills to lead Scranton, while Whelpley added 15 of her own and Keaveney had 12. Freshman Cammi Quirk (Oakland, N.J./Ridgewood) recorded 27 assists in her collegiate debut and Detorie tallied 24 assists, 13 digs and three service aces.
Forry notched 31 kills for the Royals in the setback and Whelpley added 21.
Kaylee Zhang led Swarthmore with 18 kills and Jordan Perry tallied 17.
The Royals are back in action on Saturday afternoon to close out the Scranton Invitational with matches versus Smith (4 p.m.) and New Paltz (6:30 p.m.).
--ROYALS--
