Saturday, October 28
Bethlehem, Pa.
4:00 PM
Lehigh University
12-12,4-9Patriot
3
vs
0
Loyola
9-14,4-9Patriot
1
2
3
F
Loyola Maryland
22
23
18
0
Lehigh
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Paige Moen
Lehigh Sweeps Loyola 3-0 On Senior Night
10/28/2023 8:14:00 PM | Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh volleyball celebrated its senior class on Saturday, hosting the Loyola Greyhounds for 'Senior Night'. The Mountain Hawks defeated the Greyhounds in straight sets, marking the team's first sweep since September 16.
"It was a great day to honor a fabulous class, and winning only made it greater," said head coach Alexa Keckler.
Lehigh (12-12, 4-9 PL) started off the first set strongly, gaining an 8-4 advantage early on. Loyola (9-14, 4-9 PL) responded in kind, tying the match at eight and then gained a slim 12-10 advantage after an 8-2 run. The two teams kept on par with one another the whole way through until the match was set a 23-22 in favor of the Mountain Hawks. Two kills from Megan Schulte and Lylah Washington following this sealed the deal for Lehigh in the first.
The second set ended up becoming a 'game of runs', as both teams saw momentum swings in the frame. An early 5-0 run from the Mountain Hawks gave them a 9-3 advantage before Loyola responded with an 8-2 run of their own to set the score at 18 apiece. The Mountain Hawks and Greyhounds continued to exchange blows until the two teams were tied 23-23. Lehigh once again took care of business in the closing points of set, earning a 25-23 win from another Washington kill and a Loyola attacking error.
After a closely-contested first two sets, Lehigh finally seemed to take firm control of the match in the third. The Mountain Hawks raced ahead to a 15-8 advantage midway through the set and didn't look back the rest of the way. Despite conceding a 5-1 run in the closing moments, an Alysia Fingall kill put the icing on the cake for Lehigh's 3-0 sweep of Loyola.
"Today we stepped on the court with much better focus," said Keckler. "Makena Smith did a great job of running the offense. We were locked in from the service line and we blocked very well."
Lehigh hit a solid .273 on the night, and Lehigh's top three hitters were all very efficient. Megan Schulte led the way with 14 kills on .344, Emily Stewart tallied nine on .533, and Madison McCartney put up seven kills on a .316 hitting percentage. Makena Smith was once again the catalyst for Lehigh's offense, tallying 35 assists. Schulte and McCartney each added five blocks while Alysia Fingall led the team in digs for the second consecutive match with 11.
The Mountain Hawks will be back in action next Friday, November 3 to host rival Lafayette. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Grace Hall. Lehigh currently sits one game behind Lafayette in the Patriot League standings, and the Leopards currently hold the sixth and final spot in next month's Patriot League tournament.
"Every match to the end is significant," said Keckler. "Our team is made of great talent and it will be important we stay the course and remain determined to keep pushing our limits and believing in one another."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
"It was a great day to honor a fabulous class, and winning only made it greater," said head coach Alexa Keckler.
Lehigh (12-12, 4-9 PL) started off the first set strongly, gaining an 8-4 advantage early on. Loyola (9-14, 4-9 PL) responded in kind, tying the match at eight and then gained a slim 12-10 advantage after an 8-2 run. The two teams kept on par with one another the whole way through until the match was set a 23-22 in favor of the Mountain Hawks. Two kills from Megan Schulte and Lylah Washington following this sealed the deal for Lehigh in the first.
The second set ended up becoming a 'game of runs', as both teams saw momentum swings in the frame. An early 5-0 run from the Mountain Hawks gave them a 9-3 advantage before Loyola responded with an 8-2 run of their own to set the score at 18 apiece. The Mountain Hawks and Greyhounds continued to exchange blows until the two teams were tied 23-23. Lehigh once again took care of business in the closing points of set, earning a 25-23 win from another Washington kill and a Loyola attacking error.
After a closely-contested first two sets, Lehigh finally seemed to take firm control of the match in the third. The Mountain Hawks raced ahead to a 15-8 advantage midway through the set and didn't look back the rest of the way. Despite conceding a 5-1 run in the closing moments, an Alysia Fingall kill put the icing on the cake for Lehigh's 3-0 sweep of Loyola.
"Today we stepped on the court with much better focus," said Keckler. "Makena Smith did a great job of running the offense. We were locked in from the service line and we blocked very well."
Lehigh hit a solid .273 on the night, and Lehigh's top three hitters were all very efficient. Megan Schulte led the way with 14 kills on .344, Emily Stewart tallied nine on .533, and Madison McCartney put up seven kills on a .316 hitting percentage. Makena Smith was once again the catalyst for Lehigh's offense, tallying 35 assists. Schulte and McCartney each added five blocks while Alysia Fingall led the team in digs for the second consecutive match with 11.
The Mountain Hawks will be back in action next Friday, November 3 to host rival Lafayette. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Grace Hall. Lehigh currently sits one game behind Lafayette in the Patriot League standings, and the Leopards currently hold the sixth and final spot in next month's Patriot League tournament.
"Every match to the end is significant," said Keckler. "Our team is made of great talent and it will be important we stay the course and remain determined to keep pushing our limits and believing in one another."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Team Stats
Loyola
Lehigh
Kills
41
45
Errors
19
12
Attempts
114
121
Hitting %
.193
.273
Points
48.0
61.0
Assists
37
38
Aces
3
7
Blocks
4
9
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
2
Blocks
5
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballMB
/ Volleyball
OH
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