READING, Pa. – Freshman
Bryana Chambers led the Albright volleyball team with seven kills and a .583 hitting percentage as the Lions swept Gwynedd Mercy on Monday night at Bollman Center. Albright won the match 25-17, 25-10 and 25-18.
Albright trailed, 17-14, in the first set before rattling off seven consecutive points to take control of the set.
Kellie Hill,
Shaniyah Taylor and
Claudia Guise all had kills on that run. After a point by the Griffins,
Katie Schmerse and
Paige Westra finished off the set with back-to-back points. Albright hit .276 in the first set while holding GMU to -.050.
The Albright defense got even better in the second set. Albright held the Griffins to -.200 hitting in the set, allowing just four kills on its way to a 25-10 win in the set. Ahead 7-4, the Lions scored four straight points thanks to kills from Taylor, Westra and Schmerse. After a point by GMU made it 11-5, Albright scored six more in a row. Chambers punctuated that run with a kill to extend the Albright lead to 17-5. Leading 20-10, the Lions finished the set with five straight points. Chambers started the run with another kill, and Westra added a pair of aces to help close the set.
The Albright offense had its best output in the third set. The Lions hit .281 to finish the match with a .267 hitting percentage. Gwynedd Mercy got on the positive side for the first time in the match, hitting .129. That wasn't enough to put them in the black for the match, however, hitting -.047 total.
GMU led, 11-8, but three straight kills from Guise, Schmerse and Taylor tied the score. Down 12-11, Guise used two aces in a 4-0 run to give the Lions a lead it wouldn't relinquish. An ace from
Kaylyn Haan helped the Lions push its lead to 19-15, and Schmerse finished the match with an ace of her own.
Albright finished with seven service aces. Guise had three of them while Westra had two. Albright's balanced offensive attack saw Westra and Hill finish with five kills. Taylor, Schmerse and Guise each had four.
Morgan Puller led the Lions with 15 digs. Haan finished with 12.
Albright returns to action at home on Wednesday night. The Lions host MAC Commonwealth opponent Widener at 7 p.m.
