Bucknell Volleyball Drops 3-0 Decision to Portland State at Air Force Invitational
Aug. 24, 2007
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Senior co-captain Jenna Henderson (Elk Grove, Calif./Laguna Creek) posted team highs with 11 kills and nine digs, but it was not enough as the Bucknell volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Portland State in its season opener at the Air Force Invitational. The Orange and Blue begins 2007 with a 0-1 record, while the Vikings move to 1-0. The Bison started off game one in a 4-0 deficit and battled back to within one at 4-3. However, Portland State pulled away with a 13-5 run, which included two stretches where the Vikings notched five consecutive points, and went on to take the opening frame, 30-19. Game two began in reverse fashion with Bucknell holding a 4-0 lead until Portland State eventually climbed on top, 9-8. The Bison remained close, tying the score four times before regaining the advantage at 18-17. Play remained tight until a kill by Michelle Segan sparked an 8-2 run that sealed the 30-23 win for the Vikings. The third game began on a positive note for Bucknell as Henderson tallied the first point on a kill, but that would be the only lead for the Orange and Blue as Portland State closed out its first victory of the season with a 30-18 decision. Behind Henderson, freshman Heidi Kamp (Springfield, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) made her collegiate debut with six kills and one service ace, while junior Emilie Hardinge (Darien, Conn./Darien) followed with five kills and senior Tessa Mendez (Denver, Colo./Colorado Academy) hit a team-best .333 with four kills on nine attempts. Junior Shannon Pitsch (Oak Brook, Ill./Fenwick) aided the offense with 29 assists and sophomore Jennifer Rupp (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) and freshman Kaitlin Segal (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) chipped in defensively with totals of eight and seven digs, respectively. For the Vikings, Jennifer Oney posted a match-best 13 kills and Segan added 11 to go along with eight blocks. Setter Dominique Fradella had 34 assists and Marija Vojnovic, Jacqueline Thomas and Jalen Pendon recorded seven digs apiece. "We came out on our first day of the season and battled hard against a talented team," said Bison head coach Cindy Opalski. "The key to our success in the future will be to do a better job with serve receiving and passing." Bucknell will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 25, with a match against Chicago State at 11 a.m., before closing out the weekend with a 9 p.m. match versus Air Force. |
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