Roaring Lions fall to Rochester College, 3-1

August 26, 2011

Monaca, Pa. -- The Penn State Fayette Roaring Lions volleyball team opened up their 2011 season with a 3-1 (26-28, 25-20, 16-25, 19-25) loss to perennial USCAA power Rochester College in the Penn State Beaver/USCAA Volleyball Classic.

Junior USCAA All-American Leah Ambrosini (Connellsville, Pa.) led Fayette (0-1) with 17 kills while sophomores Marney Hillen (Connellsville, Pa.) and Caitlin Fidel (Perryopolis, Pa.) added four each. Freshman Katlyn Salisbury (Madison, Pa.) also contributed four kills for the Roaring Lions. Senior setter Katie Sleasman (Connellsville, Pa.) had 19 assists, while freshman Emily Konter (Brownsville, Pa.) added 10.

With Fayette serving to begin the match, Hillen notched two kills before a Fayette error put Rochester on the board. A Fidel kill gave the Roaring Lions a 3-1 advantage before an error and an ace tied the score at three apiece. After swapping points, Fayette went on a 5-0 run on the strength of four Rochester errors and an Ambrosini kill to take a 9-4 lead. The Warriors answered with a kill of their own, before two more Rochester errors gave the Roaring Lions an 11-5 advantage. Following a Rochester timeout, Ambrosini served up an ace before the Warriors came back with two points of their own, followed by two more Warrior errors, making the score 14-7 Fayette. The teams split the next four points, until Ambrosini took a Sleasman set for a kill, giving the Roaring Lions a 17-9 edge. Rochester was able to score three consecutive points, but Fayette answered with three of their own, including a long rally that made the score 20-12. Rochester, coming out of their second timeout, sandwiched two kills around a Fayette error to cut the deficit to 20-15. Fayette answered with an Ambrosini kill but a Rochester kill forced Fayette to take a timeout with a 21-16 lead. Fayette struggled out of the timeout, committing two consecutive errors before a Rochester kill made the score 21-19. An Ambrosini kill and two Warrior errors gave Fayette their first set point, but Rochester rallied for six consecutive points to take a 25-24 lead. The Roaring Lions took the next two points on Rochester errors, but a Sleasman service error notched the score at 26-26. After a Rochester kill, a Fayette error ended the first set with the Warriors prevailing 28-26.

The second set started with a 9-2 Fayette run, including 7-0 to start, on the strength of two kills each by Ambrosini and Salisbury and four Rochester errors. Four straight Warrior points made it a 9-6 advantage for Fayette, before another Roaring Lions run of four points made the score 13-6. Sophomore Alaina Weiss (Monongahela, Pa.) and freshman Samantha Helmantoler (Monongahela, Pa.) each notched their first kills of the season during that stretch. Rochester squeezed out the next two points before another Weiss kill, and then added the next three points to make the set a 14-11 Fayette advantage. Hillen answered with a kill following a long rally, and the teams swapped the next three points until two Ambrosini kills gave Fayette an 18-13 lead. Two Rochester points were followed by three Fayette points, including a kill by Ambrosini and two Warrior errors. A Rochester timeout was followed by the Warriors claiming four of the next five points, forcing Roaring Lions coach Nancy Wheeler to take her first timeout. Freshman Janelle Cooper (Uniontown, Pa.) came out of the timeout and recorded her first collegiate kill to give the Roaring Lions a 23-19 edge. After a Rochester kill, Fayette held on to the set after two Warrior errors ended the second set 25-20.

The Roaring Lions started the third set with a close call that went the Warriors way, and Rochester jumped out to a 5-1 lead. Fidel added a kill before a Rochester error brought Fayette within two, but a Rochester kill, Fayette block, and two more Warrior kills made the score 8-4. Following an Ambrosini kill, Rochester took the next four points behind two kills and two Fayette errors. The Roaring Lions took three of the next four points, but still trailed 13-8. Rochester added another kill before two Warrior errors brought the third set to 14-10. The next six points would be split, as a Fayette error preceded two Ambrosini kills and a Rochester error. Rochester then notched a kill and an ace to take a 17-13 lead. Salisbury added a kill, but Rochester would take the next four points for a 21-14 advantage. After a Fayette timeout, Ambrosini notched a kill, and a Rochester kill and error made the score 22-16. However, Fayette struggled to comeback as the Warriors took the final three points of the set to win 25-16.

Set four started with a Rochester kill, but the Roaring Lions answered with a kill from Fidel and two from Ambrosini to take a 3-1 lead. Fayette took two of the next three points before Rochester tied the score at 5 with a 3-0 mini-run. The teams split the next two points to remain tied, but Fayette pulled ahead with a Cooper kill and a Rochester error. The Warriors answered with two kills of their own before Helmantoler notched a kill and another Rochester error made it 10-8 Fayette. However, Rochester would take the next seven points, including three aces, for a 15-10 advantage. A Warrior error and Cooper ace brought Fayette with three, but two more Warrior points gave Rochester a 17-12 lead. Ambrosini added two kills before a Rochester error made the score 17-15, and forced a Warrior timeout. Rochester came out of the break with two straight points, but then committed three errors to make the score 19-18. However, Fayette would only muster one more point, as Rochester took six of the last seven points, including a 5-0 run to end the set and the match, 25-19.

Fayette will play its second match in pool play at the Classic on Saturday, Aug. 27, at noon in the Penn State Beaver gymnasium, taking on PSUAC foe Penn College. Depending on seeding out of pool play, Fayette, will play in either the third or fifth place games at 2:00 p.m., or the championship game at 4:00 p.m. against Penn State Beaver, University of Cincinnati-Clermont or Ohio State Marion. The Roaring Lions open up their home slate with a match against Waynesburg on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7:00 p.m. in the Penn State Fayette Community Center.