(Posted September 5, 2009)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - The Juniata College women's volleyball team improved to 4-0 in the 2009 season with a straight set victory over Ithaca College in the final match of the 2009 Asics Invitational in the Kennedy Sports + Recreation Center. The final scores for each set were 25-11, 25-15, and 25-18.

Senior Michelle Morchesky (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield-Greenburg) paced the Eagles, recording a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. The offense was spread evenly throughout the match with Sam Bristol (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) contributing five kills and Madison Petsos (Portsmouth, Va./Norfolk Collegiate), adding four kills of her own.

Setting up a majority of the team's kills was junior Alexa Ebert (Titusville, Pa./Titusville), who had 29 of the teams 34 assists. Ebert also added six digs and one kill for the Eagles who hit .261 for the match.

Matching Ebert for the game high in digs was senior Megan Sollenberger (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) with 12. Twin sister Molly Sollenberger (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) was second on the team with six digs. She also contributed one of the Eagles 10 service aces.

In the first set, Juniata (4-0) set the tone for the rest of the match, jumping all over the Bombers and taking a quick 15-4 lead. Drew Barnhart (Titusville, Pa./Titusville) and Kelsey Fuller (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) each had their three kills in the first. The set came to an end after Juniata posted six of the last seven points, and the team switched ends after an Ebert kill to finish the set at 25-11.

In the second set, the Eagles hit at .233 clip, and Morchesky had five of her kills during the game. The game was tied at 5-5 before the Eagles won 14 of the next 19 points to take the lead for good. Bristol recorded three of her kills in the second set, and the Eagles won 25-15.

The third set was more of the same for Juniata. Trailing early, the Eagles used an 8-1 run to take a lead at 10-6 that they would not relinquish. Morchesky used her eleventh kill to end the set and match by the score of 25-18. The Eagles were able to hold Ithaca (2-3) to a negative .079 hitting percentage throughout the match.

The Eagles will next take on St. Vincent College on September 9, 2009 in the Kennedy Sports + Recreation Center at 7 p.m.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.