WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College volleyball team honored its five seniors pregame and battled valiantly for five sets, ultimately falling to Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) foe Chatham 3-2 on Thursday evening.<br />
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The Presidents won the first two sets 27-25 and 25-18 before Chatham took the final three sets 25-15, 25-22 and 15-12.<br />
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Senior
Makenzie Coughlin (Brunswick, Ohio/Brunswick) continued her historic season with 39 digs and in the fourth set amassed her 1,905<sup>th</sup> career dig, moving past Alison Means for second all-time in the rally scoring area in program history.<br />
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At the end of a back-and-forth first set with the score tied at 21, Chatham scored three of four points to lead 24-22. The Presidents responded with a kill by
Julia Bernesser (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler) and a Cougar error to tie the game at 24. Chatham collected the next point to force a third set point, but
Haley Nelson (Warren, Pa./Warren) smacked back-to-back kills and a Chatham error handed W&J the set, 27-25.<br />
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The Presidents hit a blistering .211 in the second set with 11 kills by seven different players to take the second set 25-18, holding at least a five-point lead over their final 10 points.<br />
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Chatham established a seven-point lead early in the third set before the Presidents rallied back within three at 15-12. The Cougars reeled off nine of the next 10 points to take control and eventually the set, 25-15.<br />
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W&J led 10-5 in the fourth set before Chatham responded with nine of the next 10 points. The Red and Black battled back to tie the set at 17, but a six-point Chatham spurt put the Courgars ahead 23-19. W&J survived a set point before Chatham closed the set 25-22.<br />
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The fifth and final set saw eight ties over the first eight points for the teams. Consecutive W&J errors, an ace and two Chatham kills put the Cougars up 13-8. An
Ashley Bertling (Berkley, Mich./Berkley) kill was followed by three-straight President points before Chatham scored the final two to close the match.<br />
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Bernesser led the Presidents with 13 kills and had two block assists.
Morgan Jacques (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy) added 11 kills and five block assists. Nelson had nine kills and was in on three blocks.
Ashley Kovel (Everett, Pa./Everett) had three kills and four total blocks.<br />
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Freshman middle hitter
Kyleigh Jester (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley) had a career-high eight block assists and added four kills.
Mallory O'Brien (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) posted 20 assists and 17 digs and
Julia Galbraith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian Academy) had 7 kills and 21 digs. Katie Connor (Pittsburgh, Pa./Vincentian Academy) was one dig shy of a season high with 19.
Alexis Tomassini (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) handed out 18 assists and had 15 digs.<br />
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W&J concludes its season Saturday at Waynesburg at 1:00 p.m.<br />
