Cal Too Much for Clarion Volleyball

Chris Rossetti

Chris Rossetti

Published October 22, 2016 4:18 am
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CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion volleyball team struck first in a highly competitive PSAC Southwest contest, but the Golden Eagles came up just short in falling 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 22-25, 24-26) to the California (Pa.) Vulcans in Tippin Gymnasium on Friday night.

(Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics)

Clarion (12-10, 6-4 PSAC) will host Seton Hill tomorrow and look to salvage a split for the weekend.

Taylor Braunagel and Catherine Ferragonio were both close to making history, with the duo coming up just shy of 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs, respectively. Braunagel finished with 18 kills on the night, just two shy of reaching the mark, while Ferragonio’s 19 digs left her just six short of her personal milestone.

Mackenzie Biggs had a standout night, recording 14 kills and five blocks while hitting .367, and Marissa Robertson finished with a double-double of 11 kills and 12 digs. Olivia Olson had six kills and seven total blocks.

Clarion blew past the Vulcans in the first set, opening on a 5-2 run and carrying it all the way to the finish line. Olson and Robertson recorded back-to-back kills to force a Cal timeout and make it 10-5, and the Golden Eagles held off a rally to make it 15-10 on a kill by Braunagel. Robertson won the race to 20 with back-to-back kills to make it 20-15, and Braunagel finished off the Vulcans in the first set with a kill to make it 25-15.

The remaining three sets were all close, with none of the three being decided by more than three points, but each time California got the best of the Golden Eagles. The second set was mostly back and forth between the two teams, but the Vulcans went ahead 21-19 on a block of Braunagel. The Golden Eagles cut the lead to 24-23 but Megan Litoborski followed it up with a kill to win the set. Cal broke an 18-all tie in the third set and later snapped a 20-20 deadlock, eventually taking the set 25-22.

Clarion led 16-11 at one point in the third set but California battled back, taking a 21-19 lead on a block late in the game. The Golden Eagles rallied from a 24-21 deficit to tie it, but one final block by the Vulcans gave California the win.

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