Wednesday, October 4, 2000

ETOWN COMES BACK TO DEFEAT SUSQUEHANNA, 3-2

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- If there were any doubts about the resurgence of Elizabethtown's volleyball team as a force to be reckoned with in the Commonwealth Conference, they were silenced in Thompson Gymnasium Wednesday night with a gritty 12-15, 14-16, 15-9, 15-10, 15-9, comeback win against Susquehanna.

Elizabethtown had just lost to Susquehanna 3-0 in the championship match of the Blue Jay Classic tournament Saturday, and began Wednesday's match down 2-0. With the win, Elizabethtown improves to 7-10 overall and 2-2 in the conference, preserving its playoff hopes for November. Susquehanna, meanwhile, falls to 12-6 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

Susquehanna breezed to a 13-1 lead in the first game only to see the Blue Jays come back with a vengeance, scoring 11 unanswered points before Susquehanna added two more to put the game away 15-12.

The second game unfolded much more evenly as the lead changed hands several times before ending as a 16-14 Susquehanna win.

The Blue Jays' responded to having their backs to the wall by rushing out to a 10-2 lead at the start of the third game and holding on to win 15-9, making the match score 2-1 in Susquehanna's favor.

Elizabethotwn tied the match by winning the fourth game, 15-10.

The Blue Jays jumped out to an early 9-4 lead in the fifth game rally-point tiebreaker and never looked back, sealing the match with a 15-9 fifth game win.

Freshman outside hitter Emily Morris (Canton, PA/Canton) starred for the Blue Jays, getting 33 digs, including one which involved hitting the ball straight up in the air when it was inches from the ground in the midst of a full backwards summersault, and pounding out 18 kills and making four blocks.

Dawn Johns (Baltimore, PA/Lansdowne) knocked out a team-high 19 kills for the Blue Jays, and Erin Malone (Orwigsburg, PA/Blue Mountain) had a team-high four service aces. Kim Mather (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug) had a team high of six blocks against the Crusaders.

Elizabethtown returns to action as the host of a Homecoming tri-meet with Delaware Valley and Villa Julie Saturday, October 7. The first match begins at 10:00 a.m.

At Elizabethtown, PA
Elizabethtown 3, Susquehanna 2
Susquehanna (12-6, 2-2) 15   16    9   10    9
Elizabethtown (6-9)     12   14   15   15   15

Blue Jay Leaders:
Kills: Dawn Johns 19, Emily Morris 18
Digs: Morris 33, Erica Simcoe 21
Assists: Beth Dodson 49
Service Aces: Erin Malone 4, Dodson 2
Blocks: Kim Mather 6, Morris 4, Gab Clarke 4