BEVERLY, Mass. --- The Moravian College women's volleyball team battled Babson (Mass.) College through five sets in the opening round of the Endicott (Mass.) University Invitational Friday evening before falling 24-26, 25-17, 23-25, 25-11, 15-9.
The opening set went back-and-forth early before sophomore outside hitter Mary Zacher went behind the service line with the Hounds trailing, 11-8. Zacher served up eight straight points including a pair of service aces to put Moravian up 15-11. Babson would fight back and take a 24-21 lead before the Greyhounds scored the final five points of the first set with junior middle blocker Taylor Kornmann serving the last four points for the 26-24 win.
Babson took an early lead in the second set and would go on to post a 25-17 victory in the game. In the third set, the Blue and Grey opening an early 9-4 lead thanks to the serving of sophomore libero Jean Markovic, who returned to the lineup from an injury, and senior defensive specialist Andrea Giardina. Babson closed late before Moravian posted a 25-23 win to take a 2-1 lead overall in the match.
The Greyhounds led the fourth set 5-1 after a pair of service aces from Markovic but Babson would score nine of the next 10 points on the way to a 25-11 victory in the game, and Babson took the final set 15-9 to finish the contest.
Freshman middle blocker Erin Tiger, who also returned to the Hounds lineup after an injury, paced Moravian with 12 kills to go with two blocks while Zacher had 10 kills, 13 digs and three service aces. Kornmann contributed seven kills and two service aces while senior setter Megan Szkolnicki had 31 assists, nine digs and five kills.
Junior opposite hitter Jaclyn Smith posted four kills and four digs for the Greyhounds while sophomore outside hitter Jordyn Jacques added thee kills and three digs. Markovic had a team-high 17 digs to go with three service aces for Moravian while freshman setter Rebecca Purcell had 11 digs. Giardina finished with two service aces for the Hounds.
Moravian will play a pair of matches on Saturday in the second day of action at the Endicott University Invitational. The Greyhounds will play host Endicott at noon and then Colby-Sawyer (N.H.) College at 2:00 p.m.
