Winning just one set on the season could have an adverse effect on a team, but KSU Tusc stayed the course and took advantage of familiar surroundings winning their first two matches of the year in a four-set and three set victory on Saturday afternoon.
In the opener against Penn Highlands, Lilli Peterson (Mineral City, OH / Tuscarawas Valley) set the tone early with the score tied 2-2. She served up five straight winners as the Golden Eagles jumped to a 7-2 lead and they never looked back. The closest the Black Bears would get was 8-6 as the Navy and Gold rode a 17-6 run to an 25-12 victory.
The visitors bounced back in the second set and took a 10-4 lead before the Eagles scored five straight and forced a timeout as they crept to within 10-9. Late in the set, the Bears led 19-16, but the Eagles managed to right themselves again as Mya Blochlinger (Millersburg, OH / Hiland) took service as KSU scored six consecutive points to take control at 22-19. They won the set on a service error 25-21.
Penn Highlands won the third set 25-22 after overcoming five ties and six lead changes in the early going. They built 19-14 lead before KSU scored four straight to cut the margin to 19-18. It was a one-point deficit again at 23-22, but the Bears would get the last two points and a 25-22 victory.
The final set was all Golden Eagles as they led from the start and owned a 15-8 lead halfway thru. They outscored the Bears 9-3 and were one-point shy of their first match win, 24-17, when Peterson scored the winner on a nifty left-handed kill.
The dynamic duo of Blochlinger and Peterson led the Eagles with 13 kills and nine points and 10 kills and nine points respectively, while Megan Stotzer (Mineral City, OH / Tuscarawas Valley) recorded 25 assists and scored 14 points.
KSU Tusc rode the momentum into the second match as Corinne Sanders (Dover, OH / Dover) served up seven straight winners and the Eagles climbed to an 11-5 lead over Westmoreland Community College. At one point, they led 18-9, but the Wolfpack responded with an 10-4 surge and cut the margin to 22-19. The Eagles closed out the set with a 25-21 victory.
The second set was close at the midpoint (10-7), but the Eagles took a commanding 23-10 lead and won 25-14. With the third and final set tied 4-4, KSU took charge again and duplicated the same winning margin of the second set at 25-14.
Blochlinger led the win with 10 kills and 10 points, while Stotzer added 23 assists for a total of 48 on the day. Alyssa Hughes (Mogadore, OH / Mogadore) and Peterson each scored seven points.
On the afternoon, Blochlinger amassed 23 kills and 16 points, while Peterson had 16 kills and 16 points.
On Saturday, March 13, the Golden Eagles visit Westmoreland for a tri match against the same Wolfpack and Black Bears.
Alyssa Hughes served up four aces and scored 9 points on Saturday.
Lilli Peterson had 16 kills and 16 points in a tri match against Penn Highlands and Westmoreland CC.
Photos by Jason Keller.