BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Penn State Harrisburg's women's volleyball team gave Moravian all it could handle in a five-set defeat on Tuesday night, Sept. 21. The Lions were edged by set scores of 25-15, 19-25, 25-21, 17-25, and 15-13.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Penn State Harrisburg (6-3) and Moravian (6-8) traded victories in the first four sets before the Greyhounds eked out a fifth-set decision by the slimmest of margins to escape their home floor with a down-to-the-wire win on Tuesday night.

The Lions kept things close in the early going of the opening set before the home team rattled off seven of eight points to take a 12-5 lead. The Blue & White cut the deficit to five thanks to an Emmaline Stevens kill but Moravian put together a 4-1 run to end the set and take grab the early advantage.

After a back-and-forth beginning to set two, the Lions took control and went on a 9-4 run capped by another Stevens kill off an assist from Katie Richardson. The home team cut the deficit to one but Penn State Harrisburg responded with a 9-4 run punctuated by a kill from Cheyanna Buckingham that clinched the game.

Moravian raced out to a double-digit lead in the third set but the Lions refused to roll over and cut the deficit to three in crunch time thanks to another kill from Buckingham off a Richardson feed but it proved too little too late as the hosts were able to hold off the late surge and hang on for the victory.

After falling behind 5-0 in the fourth set, Penn State Harrisburg reeled off five points in a row to climb back into it. With the score tied 10-10, the Blue & White put together a crucial 6-1 run capped off by a Stevens kill that gave the visitors some breathing room. Moravian cut the deficit to three late but the Lions recorded the final five points during a Tiniira Tubo service run to tie the match at 2-2 overall.

The visitors got out to a 6-3 lead in the deciding set but the Greyhounds withstood the early action and scored six of the next seven points to pull ahead 9-7. The Lions reclaimed the lead at 12-11 thanks to back-to-back kills from Emmaline Stevens but Moravian tallied four of the final five points to escape with the slim victory.

NOTABLES

- Katie Richardson set the single-match program record with 50 assists.

- Emmaline Stevens piled up 19 kills; the fourth-highest single-match total in program history.

- Cheyanna Buckingham and Melanie Sheaffer also notched double-digit kills with 15 and 11, respectively.

- Megan Morris racked up a match-high 30 digs.

- Stevens (13), Corrinne Cook (11), Julia Choe (11), and Olivia Koicuba (10) reached the double-digit dig mark as well.

- Cook recorded a team-high four service aces.

- Richardson was responsible for a pair of block solos.

- Stevens and Tiniira Tubo combined for five block assists.

WHO'S NEXT?

The Lions will look to bounce back when they travel to Lebanon Valley on Thursday night, Sept. 23. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

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