Volleyball Season Concludes In PSUAC Semifinals

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State Brandywine saw its volleyball season come to an end in the Penn State University Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals as the second-seeded Lions dropped a 3-1 (25-23, 25-9, 18-25, 25-20) decision to No. 3 Penn State Mont Alto at Rec Hall on Tuesday night.

Brandywine saw its streak of consecutive appearances in the league finals snapped at three, while completing its season with a record of 18-8.

Halee Kusner (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) led all players with 17 kills and Sullivan Stark (Middletown, Del./William Penn) handed out 33 assists and collected 10 digs. Nicolette Napoleon (Springfield, Pa./Penn Charter) added seven kills and a pair of blocks.

Nikki Poissant (Aston, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) recorded 10 kills and paced four Lions in double-figure digs with 21. Emily Battista (Broomall, Pa./Marple Newtown) registered 15 digs, while Becca Civera (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) tallied 11. Hannah Sarafinas (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) registered four solo blocks and Rikelle Taylor (Nottingham, Pa./Solanco) totaled three blocks.

Mont Alto never trailed the tightly-contested first set after netting three of the first four points. Brandywine tied the score for the first time at 23-23 on Kusner's eighth kill of the set, but Mont Alto recorded the final two points to grab a 1-0 lead.

Brandywine trailed 15-7 during set No. 2 and Mont Alto pulled away, scoring 10 of the final 12 points of the frame, including seven straight, to build a two-set lead.

The Lions forced a fourth set after claiming set No. 3, 25-18. With the frame tied at 4-4, Kusner tallied three consecutive kills to put Brandywine in front, where it would remain for the rest of the set.

The fourth set featured fie ties before Mont Alto took a two-point edge at 18-16. Brandywine pulled within one on four occasions; however, Mont Alto scored the final four points to win the set and the match.

Mont Alto advanced to Wednesday night's final where it will face top-seeded Penn State Fayette.