Roaring Lions Top Lindenwood Belleville

November 10, 2011

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The no. 3 seed Penn State Fayette women's volleyball team got in the win column at the USCAA National Championships on Thursday, defeating no. 7 Lindenwood Belleville in straight sets, 2-0 (25-21, 25-23). The win gives Fayette control of its own destiny to advance from pool play, as a win over no. 5 seed Southern Virginia guarantee a spot in the quarterfinals.

The Roaring Lions (27-8, 16-0 PSUAC) were led by junior Leah Ambrosini (Connellsville, Pa.), who notched 10 kills, while sophomore Marney Hillen (Connellsville, Pa.) and freshman Janelle Cooper (Mount Braddock, Pa.) stepped in with six kills apiece. Senior Katie Sleasman (Connellsville, Pa.) had 18 assists for Fayette.

Fayette took a 7-0 run to open set one, including kills from Ambrosini and Cooper, and two Hillen aces. But the Lynx battled back for five straight points, including two aces of their own. A Lindenwood service error followed by a Sleasman ace and Cooper kill made it 10-5, and another Ambrosini kill helped the Roaring Lions extend their lead to 13-8. The teams would split the next eight points for a 17-12 Fayette advantage. The teams then traded sets of two points, as Lindenwood took advantage of two Fayette errors before an Ambrosini kill and another Sleasman ace. Two Lynx kills were followed by an Ambrosini kill and a Lindenwood attack error. Two more Roaring Lions' errors made it 21-18, but sophomore Caitlin Fidel (Perryopolis, Pa.) extended the lead to four with a kill. Lindenwood would take three of the next five points, but a mix-up on serve caused a violation on the Lynx, and Fayette took set one, 25-21.

The Roaring Lions traded points with Lindenwood early, as the match saw ties at 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8. Lindenwood then took five straight points on the strength of two aces and three kills, but a Hillen kill and a block from Cooper brought Fayette back within three, 13-10. Again Lindenwood would take a four point lead at 16-12 after an ace, but Ambrosini then came alive. Two kills in the next three points made it 17-14, and a block from Fidel and freshman Samantha Helmantoler (Monongahela, Pa.) added another point for Fayette. The teams would trade the next four points, before Fayette forced a Lynx timeout at 19-18. Lindenwood came out of the break with a 3-0 run to extend their lead to 22-18, but Fayette battled back. A Lindenwood attack error was followed by a Lynx kill, but Fayette would bounce back. Fayette took the final six points of the set, as Hillen started the run with a kill and an ace, before Ambrosini notched three consecutive kills to give Fayette their first victory in pool play in 2011, 25-23.

The win improves Fayette to 1-2 in Pool 1. A win by the Roaring Lions on Friday morning, or a Lindenwood loss to Robert Morris Springfield, would advance Fayette into the quarterfinals, set for 2:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. on Friday.