BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's volleyball team swept Penn State-Berks in three sets Thursday night in Johnston Hall as the Greyhounds honored its three seniors and played its final non-conference contest of the 2017 season.
The Hounds, now 16-14 on the season, trailed 7-3 in the first set before the service games of seniors outside hitter Mary Zacher and libero Jean Markovic gave Moravian an 11-8 edge. The set would remain close at 16-16 before Zacher went back behind the service line again to push the lead to 21-16. The Blue and Grey eventually won the opening set, 25-18.
Moravian held the lead for the entire second set for a 25-20 win. The Greyhounds found themselves trailing again in the third set, 12-9, and again at 18-15 before sophomore setter Victoria Kauffman served four straight points for a 19-18 edge. Zacher would serve out the final five points as the Greyhounds finished off the sweep with a 25-19 edge in the third set.
Zacher led the Hounds with 14 kills to go with 12 digs, two assists and a pair of service aces as she increased her career totals to 1,449 kills, fourth in school history, 1,476 digs, sixth all-time and 159 service aces, also sixth all-time. Markovic led Moravian with 24 digs as she improved her career total to 2,169, which ranks second in school history, and Markovic had three service aces and two assists in the victory. Senior defensive specialist Ashton Galasso contributed three digs in her final home match.
"I'm so proud of the senior class; they are such wonderful players and great students and teammates as well," commented Head Coach Shelley Bauder. "I know all three of them will finish the season strong and do well in their careers here at Moravian and beyond."
Junior middle hitter Erin Tiger had nine kills and three blocks for the Blue and Grey while sophomore outside hitter Brooke Kusmider added six kills and a pair of digs. Freshman middle hitter Madi Anslow had five kills and two blocks while freshman right side hitter Emerson Gieryic added two kills.
Kauffman had 30 assists as she surpassed 1,000 kills in a season for the second straight fall, and she added five digs, three kills and a pair of service aces while junior defensive specialist Bridgette Devlin and freshman outside hitter Corinne Frick each had two digs. Graduate student and middle hitter Jackie Finnegan and sophomore outside hitter Hailee Yoder both had one assist.
Moravian will close out the 2017 regular season on Saturday, October 28 with a Landmark Conference quad match at Goucher College with the Greyhounds taking on the host Gophers at 11:00 a.m. and The Catholic University of America at 4:00 p.m. The Greyhounds can clinch a berth in the 2017 Landmark Conference Tournament with a pair of victories.
