Brandywine Knocks Off Lehigh Valley In Return To Home Court

MEDIA, Pa. -- Playing its first home match in over two weeks, the Penn State Brandywine volleyball team knocked off Penn State Lehigh Valley by a score of 3-0 (25-7, 25-15, 25-20) on Saturday afternoon to improve to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in league play.

Aided by three blocks and two kills from Hannah Sarafinas (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West), Brandywine ran away with the first set. The Lions scored the final 14 points of the frame, capped off by Lauren Kelly's (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) ace.

Brandywine pulled away midway through the second set, using three aces from Nicolette Napoleon (Springfield, Pa./Penn Charter) and kills from Kelly and Rikelle Taylor (Nottingham, Pa./Solanco) to extend their lead to 19-11. Lehigh Valley would not get the deficit smaller than seven points the rest of the way.

Lehigh Valley led 13-10 during the final set, but four-straight points, including two aces from Sullivan Stark (Middletown, Del./William Penn) gave Brandywine a lead it would not relinquish. The Lions tallied six of the final eight points with Stark finishing off the match by tallying her fourth ace of the game.

Brandywine totaled 23 aces as a team led by six from Napoleon. Sarafinas, Nikki Poissant (Aston, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) and Becca Civera (Boothwyn, Pa./Chichester) all recorded three.

Stark added 21 assists, while Poissant topped the team with 10 kills. Napoleon added six kills and Sarafinas finished with four.

Kelly collected eight digs, while Civera, Napoleon, Poissant and Randi Gassaway (Detroit, Mich./East English Village Prep) each posted five. Sarafinas totaled four blocks.

Brandywine is back on its home court on Monday against Bryn Athyn at 7:00 pm.