MIDDLETOWN, Pa- Penn State Harrisburg's women's volleyball team officially kicked off the home slate of its 2011 schedule by splitting a pair of matches at the Capital Union Building on Saturday afternoon. After cruising in a three games to none victory over Penn State York, the blue and white fell to Penn College in a hard fought contest.
Head Coach Bob Creason's squad started strong out of the gate against the visitors from the south, taking the first game 25-14, the second game 25-7 and the final game 25-14 to clinch the Lions second win of the young season.
Sophomore outside hitter Jocelyn Mitchell (Heath, OH/Heath) led the way with 8 kills, while sophomore Chidere Igwe (West Orange, NJ/West Orange) and freshman Jessica Sinex (Oxford, PA/Oxford) pitched in with 5 of their own. Freshman setter Maddie Daubert (Pine Grove, PA/Pine Grove) was strong in her position, racking up 19 assists and 8 aces. Junior captain Miranda Jumper (Lebanon, PA/Lebanon) added 7 aces as well.
But the joy brought about by the ladies' first home win of the year faded quickly in the second match against Penn College. Early in the first game, the injury bug left Penn State Harrisburg with a giant hole to fill when Mitchell went down with an apparent ankle sprain. With one of their most potent offensive weapons sidelined for nearly the entire match, the blue and white fell to the visiting Wildcats 25-17, 25-23 and 25-18.
Despite losing Mitchell, Creason's group fought hard, particularly in the second game. After trailing early, the Lions tied the score on four separate occasions. Unfortunately, they were never able to gain the upper hand. Creason said the overall feeling of the team seemed to be "deflated" after the first loss of the year, and that the match with Penn College would have been a good test had Mitchell not been forced out.
In her injured teammate's absence, Igwe stepped it up offensively with 10 kills against the Wildcats. Senior captain Carla Martin (Manheim, PA/Home Schooled) was stout on defense, digging out 12 balls while Daubert stayed strong with 18 assists.
In the end, the potential loss of Mitchell could prove more costly than the one to Penn College. With or without her, the Lions will host Alvernia in their next match on Thursday, Sept. 8.