CARLISLE, Pa. - The Dickinson volleyball team knew the deal on Saturday as they entered their regular season finale against the visiting Muhlenberg College Mules. The Red and White knew a win would earn them the sixth-seed in next week's Centennial Conference tournament. Unfortunately for the Devils after claiming the first set the visiting Mules took the next three to pickup the 3-1 win at the Kline Center to punch their own ticket to the postseason and leave DC on the outside looking in.
The Mules began fast with kills from Rachel Jacobs, Christina Marcin and Jenny Ryan giving them a 7-2 lead. Two kills each by
Amelia Kim and
Dessie Anne Nietert helped DC to chip away at the deficit (11-8). After a score for Marcin, the Red and White went on a tear with kills coming from
Alexa Barowski,
Emma Popham, Kim and Nietert during a 14-4 outburst to jump ahead 22-15. Isabella Pontrelli, Jacobs and Marcin led a 7-2 run to close within 24-22. However, they got no closer as a ball handling error called on Marcin gave the Devils the set 25-22.
Dickinson started the second frame strong as
Mathilde Verbitsky, Barowski, Kim and Nietert making it 8-2, before kills by Esmae Oehler and Marcin cut it down to 9-8. Two Popham scores along with an ace for Kim helped DC claim fourth of the next five (13-9), but then the Mules ripped off six in a row to take a 15-13 advantage. The quartet of
Grace Coccagna, Kim, Popham and Verbitsky helped the home side to reclaim a 19-16 lead. Jacobs, Oehler and Shiver had the response for the guests as they embarked on a 7-2 charge to go back ahead 23-21. A kill by Nietert, followed by an ace for Kim drew the home team level, but consecutive kills for Marcin allowed the Mules to pick up the 25-23 win.
Scores for Nieter and Popham helped the Red and White to hold a slim 4-3 edge early in the third, before Marcin, Oehler and Shiver grabbed seven straight for the visitors to make it 10-4. An ace put away by Coccagna and two kills each finished off by Barowski and Kim allowed Dickinson to not get any closer however as they still trailed by six 17-11. The Mules would clamp down the remainder of the set as Barowski and Verbitsky were the only Devils to score during an 8-3 run to finish off the third 25-14.
A Barowski kill and three MC miscues gave Dickinson a 4-2 lead to kickoff the fourth. Marcin, Oehler and Shiver then helped the away side to claim six of the next seven points to go ahead 8-5. The Devils battled back on scores from Barowski, Kim, Nietert and Popham to take an 11-9 edge. Just when it seemed like the home side had the momentum Alyssa Faville, Jacobs, Oehler, Ryan and Shiver went on a 9-3 rampage making it 18-14 Mules. The Devils did not go away quietly however as Kim, Nietert and Popham stormed back with a 9-2 gallop to get two points from a decisive fifth at 23-20. Unfortunately, six of the next seven belonged to the Mules with an ace by Ryan ending the match 26-24.
Special Shoutout
With her 16th assist today sophomore
Camille Dofiles became just the ninth player in Dickinson program history to reach 1,000 career assists.Â
Red Devil Leaders
Kills - Kim (14), Popham (10), Nietert (9), Barowski, (7), Verbitsky (6)
Digs -
Ann Marie Patterson (23),
Avery Lewis, Coccagna and Dofiles (15), Kim (13)
Assists - Dofiles (39), Patterson (2), Lewis (1)
Mule Leaders
Kills - Marcin (18), Jacobs (11), Oehler (10)
Digs - Faville (32), Marcin and Oehler (23), Ficon (19)
Assists - Ryan (43), Oehler (2), Shiver (1)
Next on the Court
Dickinson finishes their season with an overall record of 10-14 and a 4-6 mark inside the Centennial Conference and will now turn their attention to the 2024 campaign to begin next fall.
