Lions Split Home Tri-Match With Penn College, Hood

MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine outlasted Penn College for a five-set victory in its opening game of a home tri-match, but suffered a 3-1 loss to Hood College in the nightcap, its first setback of the season.

During the Lions' first match of the afternoon, Penn College claimed the first set 25-17, but Brandywine took the next two by scores of 25-19 and 25-17. The Wildcats pushed the match to a fifth set by winning frame No. 4 25-15; however Brandywine edge out Penn College 15-13, scoring the final three points of the final set.

Hannah Sarafinas (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) led the way with 15 kills along with four digs, while Halee Kusner (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) tallied 13 kills, including match point during the fifth set.

Nikki Poissant (Aston, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) added nine kills and two aces, while Sullivan Stark (Middletown, Del./William Penn) also registered a pair of aces and handed out 44 assists.

Defensively, Emily Battista (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) led four Lions in double figure digs with 20. Poissant collected 14, Stark recorded 11 and Becca Civera (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) added 11.

Hood took control of the second match, winning the first two sets by identical 25-15 counts. Brandywine cut the deficit to 2-1 by winning set No. 3, 25-20, but the Blazers answered by winning the fourth set 25-13.

The regular season loss was the first for Brandywine since Sept. 24, 2015. The Lions had won 17 consecutive regular-season matches, dropping just six sets during those contests.

Kusner added 12 more kills, while Poissant tallied 10 and Stark dished out 23 assists. Poissant paced the Lions on the defensive side with 11 digs and Battista added eight.

Brandywine (5-1) begins a six-match week on Monday with a home date against Penn State Berks at 7:00 pm.