READING, Pa. – The Albright women's volleyball team started the 2018 season on a high note Friday night at the Bollman Center as they swept Rosemont in three sets (25-14, 25-5, 25-17) in non-conference action.
 
The Lions improve to 1-0 to start the season as they have now won three straight home openers and have won two of its last three season opening games overall. This was the first matchup between the teams since the 2012 season.
 
Two newcomers playing their first game at Albright led the team on Friday as sophomore Damaris Gomez tallied a game-high seven kills and eight service aces in addition to having a .313 hitting percentage. Classmate Brooke Franklin registered six kills and a team-high .500 hitting percentage, while Kaitlyn Chell added five kills, three service aces, and matched a team-high with eight digs. Sophomore Alexa Poss paced the offense with a game-high 18 assists in addition to adding seven digs, while senior Becca Davis matched Chell with eight digs in the win.
 
The teams traded points in back-and-forth action to start the first set before the Lions won four of five points to take an 11-7 lead after a kill from sophomore Bryana Chambers. Rosemont would rally to make it a 13-11 game before the Lions rattled off four straight points to make it a 17-11 game that was capped by a service ace from Chell. With the score at 17-13, the Lions closed out the set by winning eight of the last nine points to win set one 25-14.
 
It was all Albright in set two as the Lions dominated from start to finish behind a .556 hitting percentage. With the score tied at three, Albright won eight of the next nine points to take a commanding 11-4 lead. The Lions then won the final 17 points of the second sets backed by six service aces from Gomez. During that span, the Ravens committed four attacking errors as well.
 
Rosemont would not go without a fight in the third set as they rattled off six straight points to take an early 6-2 advantage after Albright tallied the first two points. The Lions then rallied by winning seven of the next eight points to take an 8-7 lead, aided by two service aces from Chell. The Ravens would tie the score at nine, but that was as close to taking the lead in the set as they would get. Albright opened the lead back up to 15-10 behind two more services aces from Gomez. Rosemont made one last push to cut the score down to 16-14 before the Lions put the game away with seven unanswered points to make it 21-14 after Chell and Chambers each tallied kills. Two straight errors from the Ravens would conclude the game and the third set.
 
Holly Brady led the Ravens with four kills, while Lohi Naone-Carter recorded a game-high 10 digs along with two kills. Alyssa Springer paced the offense with a team-high eight assists.
 
The Lions will return to action on Wednesday, September 5^th when they will open MAC Commonwealth play against defending league champion Stevenson at 7 p.m.