Lehigh University Athletics
Friday, March 12
Lewisburg, PA
7 p.m.
Lehigh University
1-4,1-4Patriot
3
at
1
Bucknell
1-2,1-2Patriot
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Bucknell | 25 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 1 |
Photo by: Justin Lafleur
Offensive firepower leads Mountain Hawks to 3-1 victory at Bucknell
3/12/2021 10:07:00 PM | Volleyball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – It took a couple weeks longer than expected, but the Lehigh volleyball team secured its first victory of the Spring 2021 campaign, coming from behind to top Bucknell, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-20) on the road Friday night at Davis Gym. The win snaps a four-game losing streak for the Mountain Hawks, as they take their fifth straight winning decision over the Bison dating back to the 2017 season.
Just like it was on Sunday against Lafayette, it was another dominating performance out of seniors Hannah Wright and Sabrina Lancaster who together racked up 38 of the team's 62 kills on the night. Wright tied her career-high of 20 kills on Friday night, as Lancaster added 18 and freshman Lylah Washington was stellar as well with 13.
"I think we adapted and adjusted a lot quicker today than we have in the past," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "Our hitters were finding different ways to score and that made a big difference offensively.
"Both of them [Hannah and Sabrina] played like seniors tonight. They did a great job of staying calm, it was clear once again that they are playing as experienced players with a lot of drive to win. They were out there and wouldn't accept anything other than a victory. I think that really helped push everyone else and made a big difference tonight."
Lehigh and Bucknell played neck-and-neck for most of the first set, not really giving an inch to either side, as the Mountain Hawks tied the set up at 12 following a Delanie Lewis attack error. The Bison drew some separation after rattling off three straight points en route to a mini 5-2 run to take a 16-13 lead. Lehigh got hot by taking six of seven points to take a 22-20 lead, but the Bison answered back by winning four of the last five to take the 25-23 first set victory and an early 1-0 lead.
Like most matches and way it ebbs and flows, the Bison had most of the control of the first portion of the second set, but the Mountain Hawks controlled the latter half, coming back from an 11-8 deficit to take a 19-18 lead after swiping six of seven points. Hannah Wright took the pass from Ally Thaw to put away the Bison in Set 2, 25-23 to tie the match up at 1-1.
The Mountain Hawks took complete control of the third set, by extending the lead to as many as eight points at 20-12 and not letting Bucknell get any closer than two points the rest of the way. The Bison felt Lehigh with match point at 24-19, but were able to inch closer thanks to three straight points, but Wright put it away for the 25-22 win and 2-1 match lead.
Despite trailing 2-0 early in the fourth, Lehigh figured things out quick to never trail for the rest of the set, getting the best of the Bison late and able to use two Wright kills to close things out, 25-20.
The Mountain Hawks hit .274 as a team for the match, including .270 in the fourth to claim the victory. Lancaster hit .349 with 18 kills and seven digs, Sophie Robinson hit .385 with six kills and eight total blocks, while Alina Lam (31) and Sarah Burau (20) combined for 51 assists. Lam also finished with 18 digs for the double-double. Making her first appearance at libero, Ally Thaw was solid, registering 23 digs on the night.
"I think we just need to continue to pass and serve well and offensively, we need to fight off faster," said Keckler. "Tonight was a big step for us, because we made adjustments a lot faster and mixed up our offense. That was a big turning point for us in regards to how we've been playing the past four matches.
"I feel as though as long as we are continuing to improve in that and play with a little bit more grit and fire like we did tonight, that should lead to continued success."
Lehigh will look forward to continuing its winning ways on Sunday against Bucknell at 4 p.m. from Grace Hall. That match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Just like it was on Sunday against Lafayette, it was another dominating performance out of seniors Hannah Wright and Sabrina Lancaster who together racked up 38 of the team's 62 kills on the night. Wright tied her career-high of 20 kills on Friday night, as Lancaster added 18 and freshman Lylah Washington was stellar as well with 13.
"I think we adapted and adjusted a lot quicker today than we have in the past," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "Our hitters were finding different ways to score and that made a big difference offensively.
"Both of them [Hannah and Sabrina] played like seniors tonight. They did a great job of staying calm, it was clear once again that they are playing as experienced players with a lot of drive to win. They were out there and wouldn't accept anything other than a victory. I think that really helped push everyone else and made a big difference tonight."
Lehigh and Bucknell played neck-and-neck for most of the first set, not really giving an inch to either side, as the Mountain Hawks tied the set up at 12 following a Delanie Lewis attack error. The Bison drew some separation after rattling off three straight points en route to a mini 5-2 run to take a 16-13 lead. Lehigh got hot by taking six of seven points to take a 22-20 lead, but the Bison answered back by winning four of the last five to take the 25-23 first set victory and an early 1-0 lead.
Like most matches and way it ebbs and flows, the Bison had most of the control of the first portion of the second set, but the Mountain Hawks controlled the latter half, coming back from an 11-8 deficit to take a 19-18 lead after swiping six of seven points. Hannah Wright took the pass from Ally Thaw to put away the Bison in Set 2, 25-23 to tie the match up at 1-1.
The Mountain Hawks took complete control of the third set, by extending the lead to as many as eight points at 20-12 and not letting Bucknell get any closer than two points the rest of the way. The Bison felt Lehigh with match point at 24-19, but were able to inch closer thanks to three straight points, but Wright put it away for the 25-22 win and 2-1 match lead.
Despite trailing 2-0 early in the fourth, Lehigh figured things out quick to never trail for the rest of the set, getting the best of the Bison late and able to use two Wright kills to close things out, 25-20.
The Mountain Hawks hit .274 as a team for the match, including .270 in the fourth to claim the victory. Lancaster hit .349 with 18 kills and seven digs, Sophie Robinson hit .385 with six kills and eight total blocks, while Alina Lam (31) and Sarah Burau (20) combined for 51 assists. Lam also finished with 18 digs for the double-double. Making her first appearance at libero, Ally Thaw was solid, registering 23 digs on the night.
"I think we just need to continue to pass and serve well and offensively, we need to fight off faster," said Keckler. "Tonight was a big step for us, because we made adjustments a lot faster and mixed up our offense. That was a big turning point for us in regards to how we've been playing the past four matches.
"I feel as though as long as we are continuing to improve in that and play with a little bit more grit and fire like we did tonight, that should lead to continued success."
Lehigh will look forward to continuing its winning ways on Sunday against Bucknell at 4 p.m. from Grace Hall. That match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on Twitter and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Team Stats
Lehigh
Buck
Kills
62
57
Errors
17
23
Attempts
164
162
Hitting %
.274
.210
Points
77
68
Assists
59
54
Aces
2
5
Blocks
13
6
Game Leaders
Kills
20
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
18
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
13
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
8
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB/OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballRS/OH
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