CARLISLE, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College volleyball team split a pair of five-set marathon matches Saturday afternoon at the Dickinson College tri-match. 
 
The Presidents claimed the final two sets to edge Elizabethtown in the opener. The Red and Black took things down to the wire against the host Red Devils before falling in five sets. 
 
Five consecutive matches have now gone the distance for the Presidents. W&J is 4-6 overall and holds a 2-3 record in five-set contests in 2023. 
 
W&J 3, Elizabethtown 2 (25-23, 21-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-12)
 
W&J posted an impressive comeback victory in the win over a Blue Jays' squad that put together a 23-7 overall record last season. 
 
The Presidents opened the first set with a 25-23 victory. W&J raced out of the gates to an early 10-1 set one lead. After E-Town closed the gap to 13-7, W&J tacked on four consecutive points fueled by a kill by Jaden Blough (Meyersdale, Pa./Meyersdale) and assisted blocks by Lizzie Carmichael (Wyoming, Ohio/Wyoming) and Faith Fetsko (South Park, Pa./South Park). Later in the set, W&J would hold a eight-point advantage before six-straight Blue Jays points cut the Presidents advantage to just 20-18. Fetsko helped W&J close out the set one win with the final two points for the Red and Black. 
 
W&J led midway through the second set by a 12-11 score. However, the Blue Jays methodically pulled away before eventually earning set two by a 25-21 margin to even the match. The Presidents held a brief lead in the third set before E-Town once again took control. The Blue Jays recorded five of the final six points to finish off a 25-20 victory in the third set, which gave E-Town a 2-1 lead entering the fourth set. 
 
The Presidents trailed by a 9-5 score in the fourth before tallying six of the next seven points to gain the advantage. W&J extended its set four lead to 21-15 when Carmichael produced a kill which was followed by a service ace from Bella Anzevino (Brunswick, Ohio / Buckeye) and two kills by Rian Benz (Strongsville, Ohio / Holy Name). W&J maintained its lead for the remainder of the way on its way to a 25-17 victory in the fourth set. 
 
The two teams exchanged multiple runs throughout the decisive fifth set. With the score tied at 12-12, it was W&J who tallied the final three points to walk away with the victory. Sophie Little (Marysville, Ohio/Fairbanks) accounted for two of those points with a kill and a service ace. W&J posted nine kills and no attack errors during the critical fifth set.
 
Fetsko produced a team-best 13 kills while Benz reached double figures in kills (11) and digs (10). Adrianna Sacramento (Pittsburgh, Pa./Woodland Hills) racked up 24 assists while Brielle Moorhouse (East Liberty, Ohio/Benjamin Logan) accounted for 21 assists. The setter duo also combined for 30 digs. Defensively, Piper McFarland (West Mifflin, Pa./Cornerstone Preparatory Academy) tallied a team-best 34 digs to pace W&J's defensive efforts. Anzevino and Little both contributed three service aces to tie for the team best. Carmichael posted a team-high four blocks. 
 
The meeting between the Presidents and Blue Jays was the first since 2009. 
 
Dickinson 3, W&J 2 (25-22, 18-25, 23-25, 26-24, 11-15)
 
The Presidents came out hot in their match with the Red Devils. W&J sprinted out to a 9-1 lead that included four kills and a pair of service aces. The Presidents maintained its lead throughout the set. A pair of kills by Blough put the score at 16-9. Dickinson eventually cut its deficit to five but W&J responded with three of the next four points, which included an ace by McFarland to make it 23-16. W&J punctuated the set one win with a block by Little for the final point in a 25-22 victory. 
 
W&J gained an early lead in the second set before Dickinson made some adjustments to take control of the set. The Red Devils eventually evened the match with a 25-18 set two victory. In the third set, the Presidents held a 21-20 lead before the Red Devils recorded six of the final eight points to pull out the victory. 
 
The Red and Black trailed early in the fourth set before a 6-0 run gave W&J a five-point lead. A kill by Blough and an ace by Anzevino made it 14-9 Presidents. Later in the set, Dickinson eventually pulled in front with a 21-20 advantage. However, W&J countered with some strong offensive work. Four kills which included a pair by Fetsko made it 24-22. Dickinson evened the score before Carmichael tallied the final two points via kill to help W&J earn the 26-24 set victory to force a fifth set.  
 
A kill by Benz gave W&J an early 5-3 lead in the fifth set. However, Dickinson put a run together and eventually led by a 10-6 margin. The Presidents trimmed the deficit to two points when a kill by Fetsko made it 12-10 Red Devils. Dickinson was able to secure the victory with three of the final four points for a 15-11 score.
 
Blough put together her best performance of the season in the loss. The junior southpaw racked up a team-high 15 kills and hit .353 for the match. Carmichael hit .455 and finished with 11 kills and just one attack error. Benz finished with 11 kills and 10 digs while Fetko accounted for 10 kills and 18 digs. 
 
Sacramento produced 28 assists while Moorhouse finished with 19. Defensively, McFarland led the way with 25 digs. Little had a team-high three total blocks. 
 
 
Up Next: After playing its first eight matches of 2023 on the road, W&J welcomes PAC foe Waynesburg University to Salvitti Family Gymnasium for a non-conference match on Tuesday, Sept. 19. First serve will take place just after 7 p.m.