BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's volleyball team began its 2017 season by hosting the first day of action in the 15th Annual Greyhound Premiere Invitational in Johnston Hall and Timothy Breidegam Fieldhouse Friday.
The Hounds dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to Alvernia University in the season opener, falling 24-26, 25-23, 25-27, 25-20, 18-16 and the evening late with a three set loss to Baldwin Wallace (Ohio) University by scores of 25-20, 26-24, 25-9.
In the opener versus the Golden Wolves, Greyhound senior outside hitter Mary Zacher collected 12 kills with her second kill of the match at the end of the first set making Zacher the 11th player in school history to reach 1,000 kills in a career. Zacher also had 16 digs and four assists while junior middle blocker Erin Tiger led the squad with 18 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Kusmider contributed 10 kills and 12 digs while sophomore setter Vitordia Kauffman ran the offense with 41 assists to go with 10 digs, five service aces and a pair of kills.
Freshman middle blocker Madi Anslow had nine kills and five blocks in her first collegiate match while freshman right side hitter Emerson Gieryic added two kills. Senior libero Jean Markovic paced the Greyhounds with 27 digs against Alvernia to go with a trio of service aces while sophomore defensive specialist Alexis Szaro had four service aces and seven digs.
In the late contest against Baldwin Wallace, which started nearly an hour and forty minutes later than the scheduled time and ended after 11:00 p.m., Moravian freshman outside hitter Corinne Frick led the squad with eight kills to go along with eight digs in her first collegiate action. Anslow and Tiger each contributed seven kills with Anslow adding two digs and Tiger recording two blocks.
Kauffman posted another 29 assists to go with four digs and a service ace while Zacher had six kills and nine digs for Moravian. Kusmider added two kills and five digs while Markovic led the squad with 11 digs and a service aces. Szaro also contributed seven digs.
Moravian will be right back in action on Saturday, September 2 in the second day of action at the 15th Annual Greyhound Premiere Invitational as the Hounds play the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford at 10:00 a.m. and York College of Pennsylvania at 2:00 p.m.
