GRANTHAM, Pa. - The Dickinson volleyball battled hard all day to post a 1-1 record on Saturday at the Messiah University Tri-Match at Hitchcock Arena. First, the Red and White knocked off Neumann University 3-0, before dropping a 3-1 decision to the host Falcons.

Match One - Red Devils 3, Knights 0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-20)
Neither side could get much of a rhythm early as they split the opening eight points. After Neumann took a 7-4 edge, Dickinson mounted a 6-1 run with kills by Alexa Barowski and Sophia Denayer to go on top 10-8. The teams then shared the next ten points to keep DC in front 15-13. Kills from Emma Lange, Emma Popham, and Mathilde Verbitsky helped the Devils to stretch the lead to 22-19, With DC up 23-22, Lange put down a score and Maria Brown recorded an error for the set one win.

Dickinson struggled early in the second as the Knights grabbed a 9-7 lead on a kill from Regan Hickey. The Devils then scored on four of the next six points to knot the score at 11-11 thanks to Lange and Popham. A 6-3 Neumann response moved them ahead 17-14. However, that was when the Red and White took control as Denayer, Lange, Popham, and Verbitsky were all setup by Jordan Schucker during a 9-3 DC charge to grab a 23-20 advantage. After an NU point, Lange recorded a kill, before Jules Dill had a mishit to wrap-up the second 25-21. 

The third set was back-and-forth to start as kills by Barowski, Denayer, Lange, Schucker, and Verbitsky for the Devils had the score tied at 9-9. Dickinson then ripped off five straight points with three kills from Denayer and a combination block between Lange and Popham to make it 14-9. NU trimmed the margin to 14-12, before Barowski, Lange, Schucker, and Verbitsky went on a 9-3 tear for a 23-15 lead. Cassidy Davis and Barowski recorded the final two DC kills to end the match 25-20.

Knight Leaders
Kills - Garvey, Hickey, and Mansel (8)
Digs - Bournazel (14), Hickey (12), Smith (11)
Assists - Smith (25)

Red Devil Leaders
Kills - Denayer (10), Lange (9)
Digs - Lange (10), Davis (9)
Assists - Schucker (30)

Match Two -  Red Devils 1, Falcons 3 (12-25, 19-25, 25-20, 21-25)
Dickinson began the match flying high with kills from Barowski and Popham aiding in a 6-2 lead. Messiah then took command with a 12-0 run on scores by Mackenzie Feight, Rachel Rashford, and Emma Swartz.to take a 14-6 edge. Two Verbitsky kills and a joint block by Lange and Schucker stalled the hosts momentum for a moment cutting the deficit to 16-10. Unfortunately, the Falcons ended the set on a 9-2 charge to take the first 25-12. 

Once again DC started strong with Denayer and Popham giving the visitors a 5-0 advantage. After Messiah recorded six straight points Davis and Popham answered back to make it 9-6 Devils. Two kills each by Feight and Swartz helped the Falcons go on an 8-1 flight to jump ahead 14-10. Denayer, Lange, and Verbitsky helped Dickinson to chip away as the Red and White closed to within 17-16. Once again though the home side had an answer scoring seven of the next eight points. Popham and Verbitsky made it 24-19, before an error by Davis gave the hosts the 25-19 win.

Barowski, Davis, Lange, Popham, and Verbitsky had DC out in front 8-4 to begin the third. After Messiah recorded three points in a row, the Devils came roaring back with two kills by Lange to make it 12-8. Four consecutive DC miscues tied the score at 12, before Lange, Popham, Schucker, and Verbitsky opened the lead out to 20-17. The two sides traded 3-0 runs to leave things at 23-20. A Popham kill off a feel from Grace Coccagna was followed by an error from Rashford to give the Devils life at 2-1 after the 25-20 victory.

Messiah started the fourth holding a slim 6-5 lead despite kills from Denayer, Lange, Popham, and Verbitsky. A 9-2 rampage by the Falcons gave the hosts a 15-7 advantage. Scores by Barowski and Popham stalled the charge for a moment, before a 6-2 response by the home side made it 21-11. Dickinson fought back with a 10-3 run thanks to kills for Ann Marie Patterson, Barowski, Coccagna, Denayer, and Lange cut the margin to 24-21. Unfortunately, the match would end on a bad serve from Schucker (25-21).
 
Falcon Leaders 
Kills - Feight (16), Rashford (8)
Digs - Feight (17), Swartz (16)
Assists - Swartz (32)

Red Devil Leaders 
Kills - Popham (13), Lange (10), Verbitsky (8)
Digs - Coccagna (19), Lange and Schucker (15)
Assists - Schucker (32)

Up Next
Dickinson (2-1) gets back to work on Tuesday night at 7 pm when they visit Elizabethtown College for a non-conference showdown with the Blue Jays.
  Read Full Article