CARLISLE, Pa. - The Dickinson volleyball team got back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon by collecting a pair of hard-fought five set non-conference victories over both Elizabethtown College and Washington and Jefferson College inside the Kline Center.

Match One - DEVILS 3, Blue Jays 2 (20-25, 25-20, 19-25, 25-23, 15-9)
The visitors were flying high early as a kill by Eliette Whittaker was the only DC kill during an 8-3 push. The Red and White collected five of the next seven on points from Amelia Kim and Whittaker to pull within 10-9. EC continued to hold the home side off as scores from Emma Popham and Mathilde Verbitsky left DC down 15-14. Gracie Britten, Savannah Lesley and Georgianna Kahley led a 10-6 charge the rest of the set to claim the first 25-20.

Dickinson flipped the script to start the second as Kim, Popham and Whittaker staked the hosts to a 10-6 lead. EC battled back to 10-10 on kills from Kate Barbon and Lesley, before Alexa Barowski, Kim, Popham and Whittaker led a 10-4 romp to go ahead 20-14. The two sides shared the next six points with Verbitsky supplying the only actual DC kill to make it 23-17 Devils. After three straight for the Blue Jays an error and a Kim slam gave the second to DC 25-20. 

Elizabethtown claimed eight of the first ten points in the third, before kills by Barowski, Kim and Verbitsky brought the Red and White to 13-9. A pair of Lesley scores, coupled with a solo from Barbon helped the Jays to extend the gap to seven at 20-13. Barowski and Verbitsky supplied kills, while EC committed four errors to leave the Devils behind 24-19. Unfortunately, for the home side they could get no closer as a service error for Camille Dofiles ended the frame.

The two teams shared the opening 16 points of the fourth with the DC scores coming off the arms of Dofiles, Kim, Verbitsky and Whittaker. Barowski, Kim, Popham and Whittaker continued the attack to move the Red and White ahead 15-12. A kill and an error cut it down to 15-14, but then two Popham scores along with a single for Verbitsky stretched the margin to 19-15. An 8-3 explosion by the visitors ending on a Lesley kill put EC two points away from the match at 23-22, but two consecutive scores by Popham and an error by Karlee Ray forced a deciding fifth 25-23. 

In the fifth, Dickinson took command early as an ace for Avery Lewis along with kills by both Barowski and Verbitsky gave the home team an 8-3 advantage. However, five of the ensuing six went to EC to cut the deficit down to 9-8. The Devils made sure it got no closer ending on a 6-1 rampage with points coming from Barowski, Kim and Whittaker to claim the match 15-9.

Red Devil Leaders
Kills -  Kim (17), Popham (13)
Digs - Ann Marie Patterson (27), Kim (24), Grace Coccagna and Dofiles (11)
Assists - Dofiles (43)

Blue Jay Leaders
Kills - Lesley (21), Barbon (10)
Digs - Hepler (31), Kahley (17), Minnick (12)
Assists - Minnick (24), Bitner (22)

Match Two - DEVILS 3, Presidents 2 (22-25, 25-18, 25-23, 24-26, 15-11)
It was all Washington and Jefferson early in the first as Rian Benz, Jaden Blough, Lizzie Carmichael and Sophie Little had them out to a 9-1 lead. Dickinson tried to fight back as Barowski, Kim, Patterson, Popham and Whittaker closed the gap to 14-9. Blough then kickstarted a 6-4 push for W&J making it 20-13. Once again the Red and White mounted a charge as Barowski, Dofiles, Kim, Patterson and Verbitsky pulled DC within 24-22. A block by Little then ended the first 25-22.

For the second straight set the Presidents were out of the gates fast taking seven of the opening ten points, before Barowski, Coccagna, Kim and Popham led a fantastic 10-3 response to take a 13-10 lead. A bad service for the hosts stemmed the tide for a second, but then Dessie Anne Nietert, Kim, Popham and Verbitsky accounted for six of the next ten to make it 19-15. Dickinson just kept plugging away with Kim, Nietert and Verbitsky wrapping up the set on a 6-3 push for the 25--18 win. 

The third frame began with Dickinson finding the early footing thanks to Kim, Nietert and Popham making it 11-6. W&J came storming back with points by Benz and Blough to draw level at 15-15. The Red and White continued to hold their own as Barowski, Kim and Verbitsky all put away kills to keep things locked out at 20-20. After that DC seized five of the ensuing seven points on scores by Kim and Verbitsky to finish off a 25-23 victory. 

The fourth started well for the Devils as the Presidents committed seven errors and Kim chipped in a single kill to take an 8-4 edge. However, W&J rallied back with a 10-1 run to make it 14-9, but once again DC had an immediate answer with Barowski, Kim, Nietert and Popham leading a 7-2 romp to tie the score at 16 apiece. The next eight points were shared to hold things in a deadlock 20-20. Kills by Barowski, Kim and Verbitsky, left the score 24-24, but then back-to-back Carmichael kills forced another decisive fifth for the Devils. 

W&J began the final set strong with kills from Benz and Carmichael giving them a 5-3 edge. Coccagna, Kim, Lewis, Popham and Verbitsky organized a 7-1 outburst to make it 10-6. Two Devil miscues and scores from both Blough and Fetsko pulled the Presidents to within 12-10. However, three of the next four belonged to DC with Popham finishing off the match with a kill (15-11).

Red Devil Leaders
Kills - Kim (22), Popham (16)
Digs - Kim (23), Patterson (19), Dofiles (18), Lewis (12), Coccagna (10)
Assists - Dofiles (56)

President Leaders
Kills - Blough (15), Benz and Carmichael (11), Fetsko (10)
Digs - McFarland (25), Fetsko (18), Benz (12), Anzevino (10)
Assists - Sacramento (28), Moorhouse (19)

Next on the Court
Dickinson (3-6) will begin Centennial Conference play next Saturday afternoon at 1pm when Swarthmore College comes calling to Kline Center. Read Full Article