Brandywine Storms Back To Defeat Maine Fort Kent, Capping USCAA Tournament Day One

CANTON, N. Y. – No. 8 Penn State Brandywine pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory, scoring the final nine points of a 2-1 victory (25-23, 22-25, 15-13) over No. 9 Maine Fort Kent Thursday evening, to cap its three-match opening day of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Volleyball Tournament on the campus of SUNY Canton.

Aided by three aces from USCAA Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year Miranda Biondi (Newtown Square, Pa./Marple Newtown), Brandywine ran out to a 6-0 lead during the opening set. The Lions pushed their lead as large as 10 following another ace from Biondi, but Fort Kent answered with an 8-0 surge to take a 23-21 advantage.

However, Brandywine hung tough as Nikki Poissant (Aston, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) delivered an ace and a kill and the Bengals committed a pair of errors and Brandywine escaped with a first-set victory.

Maine Fort Kent led for nearly the entire second frame, never by more than four points, and held off a late Lions' comeback bid to force a deciding third set. Brandywine pulled even on four occasions, including PSUAC Freshman of the Year Halee Kusner's (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) kill that knotted the score at 22-22, but the Bengals answered with the next three points to take the frame.

The Bengals appeared to have a strangle hold on the third set when Breanna Krystek's 10^th kill made the score 13-6, but Brandywine rallied to pull off the improbable comeback.

Four Bengal miscues and a kill by Kusner brought the score to 13-11. After Nicole Costa's (Lansdowne, Pa./Upper Darby) kill forced a timeout by Fort Kent, Kusner tied the score with another kill. Costa put Brandywine in front with her fifth kill of the match and Kusner finished off Fort Kent, reaching double figures in kills for the game.

Nikki Poissant (Aston, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) tied Kusner for the team lead in kills, while Biondi registered 27 assists, six digs and four aces.

Kim Russo's (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) 20 digs were a match-best and Poissant and Kelsi Wiest (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) both added seven digs. Costa and Kusner both collected a pair of blocks.

Brandywine (21-5) saw its USCAA-best, 13-game winning streak come to an end earlier in the day during its loss to Florida College and was also defeated in straight sets by Alfred State.

Kusner paced Brandywine with four kills and Kirsten Jerla (Springfield, Pa./Notre Dame) tallied three against Florida College.

Biondi dished out 12 assists and tallied two digs. Russo, Wiest and Poissant all delivered six digs.

Brandywine hung tough with the defending national champions through the first set, tying the score at 14-14 following a Falcon error; however, Florida College reeled off the next five points and held off a late Brandywine rally to win the set.

Kusner knotted the second set's score at 4-4, but Florida College used a 9-1 run to pull away. The Falcons scored the final four points to lock up the victory in two sets.

Against Alfred State, Kusner again led the Lions with six kills, while Poissant and Costa both added four. Biondi handed out 17 assists and tied with Poissant for the team lead in digs with five.

Costa collected a pair of solo blocks, while Emily Battista (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) and Becca Civera (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) both tallied two aces.

Costa's kill tied the first set at 9-9 and the teams traded points before Jess Hadley ran off three consecutive points for the Pioneers. Brandywine closed within five on two occasions, but Bryanna Godfrey's ace closed out the frame.

Brandywine led briefly in the second set following a Civera service ace; however, Janae Hamilton answered with two of her game-high nine kills to push the Alfred lead to five. After battling back to within two on aces by Civera and Battista, Alfred responded with the last two points of the set to seal the win.

Brandywine remains in good shape to advance to Friday night's quarterfinal round. The Lions, who can finish as high as second in Pool A, can clinch a quarterfinal berth with a victory Friday afternoon over St. Mary of the Woods (1:00 pm) or with a Maine Fort Kent loss to Florida College.