Brandywine Topples Delaware Valley In Four Sets

MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine won the first two sets with ease and finished off Delaware Valley College in four frames by a score of 3-1 (25-15, 25-16, 17-25, 25-13) on Friday night, giving Brandywine three victories over NCAA Division III opponents during the season's first eight days.

The Lions quickly took a seven-point lead during the opening set at 14-7 behind a pair of kills and two aces from Nikki Poissant (Aston, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) that capped a 7-1 spurt. Brandywine's edge swelled as large as eight points on two occasions before the Lions closed out the opening frame with four-straight points, punctuated by a Lauren Kelly (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) service ace.

Brandywine led set No. 2 wire-to-wire and pulled away late by scoring seven of the final nine points. The Lions had an opportunity to close out the match in the third set, but Delaware Valley battled back from an early deficit to claim the frame, 25-17.

Margot Gargus (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) recorded three consecutive aces during a 12-2 Brandywine run to open the fourth set and the Lions would not look back. A pair of Aggie miscues, a kill by Poissant, her 18th of the night, and a service ace from Nicolette Napoleon (Springfield, Pa./Penn Charter) accounted for the final four points of the set and match.

In addition to her game-high kill total, Poissant matched Becca Civera (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) with a team-best 15 digs. Gargus and Kelly also produced double-figure dig totals as Kelly tallied 11 and Gargus recorded 10.

Gargus finished with eight kills, while Kelly totaled six, along with six assists and two aces, and Napoleon added four kills. Sullivan Stark (Middletown, Del./William Penn) handed out a season-best 32 assists, while also collecting seven digs.

Brandywine (3-1) opens a four-match road trip on Sunday when it travels to New Jersey for a tri-match against the host College of St. Elizabeth (12:00 pm) and the Culinary Institute of America (2:00 pm).