WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Sophomore setter
Adrianna Sacramento (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) finished with 49 assists as four Presidents registered double-digit kills as the Washington & Jefferson volleyball team earned a hard-fought four-set victory over the visiting Bethany Bison Tuesday evening at Salvitti Gymnasium.
After seeing their three-match winning streak end Saturday in a four-set loss to Saint Vincent, one would wonder how the Presidents would respond Tuesday evening when they hosted PAC preseason favorite Bethany. The Presidents were up to the task as they continued their resurgence in 2022. The victory improved W&J to 7-4 on the season while Bethany drops to 6-8.
Freshman outside hitter
Faith Fetsko (South Park, Pa./South Park) finished with a team-high 18 kills and a team-best 20 digs in the victory. Senior outside hitter
Claire Sauerland (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) continued her strong senior campaign with a 14-kill effort. Junior middle hitter
Lizzie Carmichael (Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming) registered 10 kills and recorded a team-high four total blocks. Sophomore right side
Jaden Blough (Meyersdale, Pa./Meyersdale) rounded out the quartet with 10 kills.
Defensively, freshman libero
Piper McFarland (West Mifflin, Pa./Cornerstone Preparatory Academy) finished with 19 digs in a strong all-around defensive effort. Seniors
Ashley Bertling (Berkley, Mich./Berkley) and Sophia Sacripointe (Butler, Pa./Butler Area) contributed 15 digs and 14 digs, respectively.
In the first set, W&J forged a three-point lead (8-5) on a block by Carmichael and Fetsko. The Bison responded and eventually evened the set score at 15-15. The Presidents took over offensively at that point, as the Red and Black recorded seven of the next eight points. Carmichael, Sauerland and Blough finished with at least two kills during the run. W&J stretched its lead to as many as six (24-18) to force set point. However, the Bison ripped off five straight points to pull within a point. A kill by freshman middle hitter
Abby Tester (Munhall, Pa./Steel Valley) finished off the 25-23 set one win.
Bethany regrouped and used a strong early set run to build an 11-6 advantage in the second. W&J answered with nine consecutive points to turn the tide for a 15-11 lead. The run was highlighted by a pair of kills by Fetsko, two blocks by Carmichael and a service ace by McFarland. Bethany eventually used three straight points to even the score at 19 all before using another spurt to take a 24-21 lead to force set point. W&J tallied the next five points, three of which came via Fetsko kills, as the home team pulled in front with a 2-0 set advantage.
The visiting Bison built an early lead in the third set and claimed a 25-19 victory to force a fourth set. The Presidents would ensure that there would be no fifth set. The home team tallied five of six points to build a 10-5 lead on a Bethany attack error. After three consecutive points, W&J ripped off seven straight points to take a commanding 17-8 advantage. Sauerland and Blough combined to account for four consecutive kills to cap the run. W&J was able to maintain its lead down the stretch and capped the match with a Sauerland kill.
W&J held advantages in kills (60-52), assists (55-48) and digs (86-80) in the competitive match. The Bison held a 9-5 edge in total blocks.
The Presidents travel to Waynesburg on Thursday for a 7 p.m. match.
