Women’s Volleyball wins 3-0 thriller to open USCAA Championship pool play

LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. --- Carlow University women's volleyball won a three-set thriller over No. 2 seed Bay Path University to open USCAA Championship pool play Thursday morning.

The Celtics (12-14) defeated the Wildcats (11-12) by a narrow 25-23 margin in the first two sets before taking the third set to a win-by-two situation in which they were victorious, 32-30.

Rebecca Hess and Alison Humberston tallied 11 kills apiece to lead the Celtics.

Claire Yezovich picked up 11 digs and four service aces. Hess also had four aces, while Angel Klein added three and Taylor Claypoole recorded three blocks.

Bay Path jumped out to a 6-1 advantage to start the first set, but a big kill from Claypoole set off a 7-1 run that included three services aces to put the Celtics ahead, 9-7.

A kill by Hess and three Bay Path errors in a row gave the Celtics a six-point advantage, but the Wildcats put together a 6-1 run of their own to lead, 21-20, late in the set.

A subsequent Bay Path service error and an ace by Klein returned the lead to the Celtics, but the Wildcats tied the score at 22- and 23-all.

Bay Path handed Carlow a point with another service error, and Hess put the first set away with a kill.

The second set played out much like the first with the exact same result.

This time, Carlow started off with a 3-0 lead before the Wildcats rallied and led, 4-3.

Kills from Humberston and Perkins gave Carlow a one-point advantage, but Bay Path quickly tied it 5-all with a kill of their own.

The Celtics tied it up again, 6-6, but three Carlow attack errors in a row and an ace gave Bay Path a 10-6 lead.

Carlow tied the score once again at 13-all, and a bad set by the Wildcats set off a five-point run that gave the Celtics the lead for the third time in the set.

Carlow maintained its tenuous hold on the lead through the set, ahead 24-21 toward the end, but Bay Path would not fold.

A kill and a bad set put the Wildcats within reach, 24-23, but Hess came through yet again with a kill to end the set in favor of the Celtics.

Carlow jumped out to a 9-2 advantage in the third set, but Bay Path went on a 6-0 run to tie it 9-all.

Both teams tied the score and traded leads throughout the set, but neither would back down as it came down to what should have been the final points.

A Claypoole kill put Carlow up, 25-24, but Bay Path forced a win-by-two situation after a kill of their own.

It was a nail-biter to the very end – Carlow fought for every point, and the Wildcats would end up tying the score in the subsequent rally.

A kill from Perkins put Carlow ahead, 31-30, and Claypoole and Hayley Barry came up with a massive block to finally end the set, 32-20, and the match in favor of the Celtics.

Bay Path's Anastasiya Tsetsko led all players with 17 kills, while Zyiasia Knighton added 19 digs and Mckenzie Labier tallied four blocks.

The Celtics face Mid-Atlantic Christian University for a 9 a.m. match to continue USCAA Championship pool play Nov. 10.