WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Lady Barons came together as a team late despite losing in straight sets to Washington & Jefferson 14-25, 26-28, and 17-25. The team was tentative in the first set but pulled it together to make the second and third sets close.

"They were really staying together, working hard, encouraging each other and communicating, even though we were down," Head Coach Kelly Hermann said. "That's what a coach wants to see."

The Lady Barons offense was key in keeping the second set close. Hermann said that when the team hits well, they have a chance to win every game. Junior outside hitter Dani Link led the team with eight kills on the night, and senior setter/right-side hitter Amy O'Keefe added five kills of her own.

"Amy just always hits well," Hermann said. "We have to figure out ways to keep her involved in the offense and get more sets to her when we can."

Contributing to the offense was sophomore middle hitter Emily Baznik. Hermann said that she was pleased with Baznik's performance, especially after moving her from the middle to the right. Baznik finished with three kills on the night and also had a strong blocking presence.

"She blocked well and hit the ball well," Hermann said. "Overall, she played a very good game."

The team overall had a strong blocking night, carrying over from their previous match, with the combination of O'Keefe and sophomore middle hitter Ana Tolkach making a difference. O'Keefe finished with three blocks, and Tolkach finished with two.

"We blocked really well today," Hermann said. "We just have to have an aggressive attitude. Blocking is not a passive skill."

Moving from offense to defense was freshman outside hitter/defensive specialist Faith Laidley, who started at libero for this particular match. Hermann said that she was pleased with Laidley's first performance at the libero position, improving as the match went on.

"She hasn't played libero, other than in practice. It's different when you're in a game," Hermann said. "Faith is a very good defensive player and a very accurate passer. She was a little tentative at first but got more comfortable as the match went on."

The Lady Barons will look to make some more improvements on the road against second-time opponent Wooster on September 24 at 7 pm.