Lady Barons Lose Close Match against Penn State Beaver

By Dylan Ehle

MONACA, PA - The Lady Barons took on Penn State Beaver Monday night in a highly contested match.  After five grueling games, the Lady Barons eventually lost the match, 14-25, 18-25, 25-21, 25-12, 11-15.

The first game was difficult for the Lady Barons.  "We came out shaky and a bit intimidated," head coach Kelly Herrmann said of the first game, "Our blocking was sloppy, and we played poorly overall throughout the first game."

"However, we played considerably better in the second game of the match," Coach Herrmann said, "Our execution was significantly improved in the second game, we were much more aggressive."  However, the Lady Barons fell in the second game, 18-25, and faced a 0-2 deficit and an elimination game in the match.

The Lady Barons finally found their niche in the third game, outplaying PSA across the board en route to a 25-21 victory.  "We played very well in the third game," Coach Herrmann remarked, "That was when we started to really pull together."

"We played excellent volleyball in the fourth game," Coach Herrmann stated, "Our blocking was amazing, and we controlled the entire game."  As a result, the Lady Barons cruised to a 25-12 win in game four, forcing a decisive fifth game.

However, fatigue started to set in, and the Lady Barons found themselves trailing early in the fifth game.  They tried to come back, but in the end they fell, 11-15.

Highlighting the Lady Barons' efforts was captain Ali Aeschliman of Steubenville, OH, who registered sixteen kills and fourteen blocks.  Paddy Scott and Teresa Marcotte chipped in with twenty-one and sixteen assists, respectively, and Nicole Henson continued her solid play as libero with twenty-three digs.

The Lady Barons' next game is their home opener against OSU Newark this Wednesday at 6 p.m.