Friday, September 22
Bethlehem, Pa.
7:00 PM
Lehigh University
9-5,1-2Patriot
2
vs
3
Bucknell
5-7,1-2Patriot
1
2
3
4
5
F
Bucknell
21
25
21
27
15
3
Lehigh
25
16
25
25
13
2
Photo by: Rob Lombardo
Lehigh Drops Five-Set Heartbreaker To Bucknell
9/22/2023 11:07:00 PM | Volleyball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh volleyball began its weekend of Patriot League action on Friday night against the Bucknell Bison. The Mountain Hawks fell in five sets to the Bison in what was an exciting and competitive bout the whole way through.
"It was a tough match to walk away from on the losing end," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "There were lots of battles and I am proud of their fight, we just have to finish it out."
Lehigh (9-5, 1-2 PL) brought the intensity on defense out of the gate, recording seven blocks in the first set alone. The defense helped dictate the offense for the Mountain Hawks in the early going, as they rode that momentum to a 16-9 lead halfway through the first. However, it was clear that Bucknell (5-7, 1-2 PL) wasn't going away without a fight, as a 5-0 run from the Bison set the score at 21-19 in favor of Lehigh. Despite the late Bucknell surge, kills from Lylah Washington and Jaidyn Garcia helped secure the 25-21 set one victory for Lehigh.
Despite the shaky start, Bucknell shook off their opening set loss and came out firing in set two. The score continued to go back-and-forth between the two sides up until Lehigh cut the Bison lead to one at a score of 9-8. Bucknell scored five unanswered after this, and Lehigh's prospects of a comeback proved to be difficult. The Bison claimed set number two by a score of 25-16, tying the match at one set apiece.
The Mountain Hawks bounced back in the third, again winning by a score of 25-21. Blocks were once again a driving force behind Lehigh's success, as the team tallied eight in the frame, including a set-clincher by Madison McCartney and Makena Smith. Now losing 2-1 in sets, Bucknell needed a spark in the fourth set, which they were able to find. The Bison climbed out of a 15-11 hole to regain the lead at 17-15 and stayed ahead until the Mountain Hawks rallied to tie the match at 24 apiece. However, two kills by Sidney Shaffer and a Lehigh attacking error helped Bucknell win 27-25 and push the match to five sets.
Bucknell started off hot in the final set, gaining an early lead and pushing it to a four-point advantage early on. Lehigh responded with a run of their own, eventually leading to the score being locked at 10-10. Two Dakota Hartman kills put the Mountain Hawks in striking distance with a 12-11 advantage, but the Bison concluded the frame with a 4-1 run to secure the win and complete their comeback.
Junior Megan Schulte led the way for Lehigh with 15 kills while junior Emily Stewart and senior Lylah Washington recorded 12 and 11 kills respectively. First-year Abby Felkai tallied 20 digs while junior Kyleigh Brown had 12, putting Brown only 16 digs away from 1,000 on her career. Felkai's 24 assists led the Mountain Hawks while sophomore Madison McCartney's 14 total blocks (one solo, 13 assists) were a driving force behind Lehigh's defensive success. Lehigh's 23 blocks were a season-high for the team.
The Mountain Hawks will be staying in the Lehigh Valley for their next match, heading east to face Lafayette in volleyball's first installment of The Rivalry this season. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday in Easton.
"Every team in the league is tough, and every time we step on the court it's going to be a battle," said Keckler. "We have to rise to the occasion and execute when needed."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
"It was a tough match to walk away from on the losing end," said head coach Alexa Keckler. "There were lots of battles and I am proud of their fight, we just have to finish it out."
Lehigh (9-5, 1-2 PL) brought the intensity on defense out of the gate, recording seven blocks in the first set alone. The defense helped dictate the offense for the Mountain Hawks in the early going, as they rode that momentum to a 16-9 lead halfway through the first. However, it was clear that Bucknell (5-7, 1-2 PL) wasn't going away without a fight, as a 5-0 run from the Bison set the score at 21-19 in favor of Lehigh. Despite the late Bucknell surge, kills from Lylah Washington and Jaidyn Garcia helped secure the 25-21 set one victory for Lehigh.
Despite the shaky start, Bucknell shook off their opening set loss and came out firing in set two. The score continued to go back-and-forth between the two sides up until Lehigh cut the Bison lead to one at a score of 9-8. Bucknell scored five unanswered after this, and Lehigh's prospects of a comeback proved to be difficult. The Bison claimed set number two by a score of 25-16, tying the match at one set apiece.
The Mountain Hawks bounced back in the third, again winning by a score of 25-21. Blocks were once again a driving force behind Lehigh's success, as the team tallied eight in the frame, including a set-clincher by Madison McCartney and Makena Smith. Now losing 2-1 in sets, Bucknell needed a spark in the fourth set, which they were able to find. The Bison climbed out of a 15-11 hole to regain the lead at 17-15 and stayed ahead until the Mountain Hawks rallied to tie the match at 24 apiece. However, two kills by Sidney Shaffer and a Lehigh attacking error helped Bucknell win 27-25 and push the match to five sets.
Bucknell started off hot in the final set, gaining an early lead and pushing it to a four-point advantage early on. Lehigh responded with a run of their own, eventually leading to the score being locked at 10-10. Two Dakota Hartman kills put the Mountain Hawks in striking distance with a 12-11 advantage, but the Bison concluded the frame with a 4-1 run to secure the win and complete their comeback.
Junior Megan Schulte led the way for Lehigh with 15 kills while junior Emily Stewart and senior Lylah Washington recorded 12 and 11 kills respectively. First-year Abby Felkai tallied 20 digs while junior Kyleigh Brown had 12, putting Brown only 16 digs away from 1,000 on her career. Felkai's 24 assists led the Mountain Hawks while sophomore Madison McCartney's 14 total blocks (one solo, 13 assists) were a driving force behind Lehigh's defensive success. Lehigh's 23 blocks were a season-high for the team.
The Mountain Hawks will be staying in the Lehigh Valley for their next match, heading east to face Lafayette in volleyball's first installment of The Rivalry this season. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday in Easton.
"Every team in the league is tough, and every time we step on the court it's going to be a battle," said Keckler. "We have to rise to the occasion and execute when needed."
Like Lehigh Volleyball on Facebook, follow on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
Team Stats
Buck
Lehigh
Kills
62
55
Errors
30
34
Attempts
167
168
Hitting %
.192
.125
Points
74.0
83.0
Assists
56
49
Aces
4
5
Blocks
8
23
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
15
Aces
2
Blocks
6
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
9
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
6
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
RS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
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