ANNVILLE, Pa. – Sophomore Amanda Bahn (York, Pa./Spring Grove) served up eight aces and first-year student Megan Brillhart (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) clouted a season-high 17 kills as the Lebanon Valley College volleyball team opened its 2002 Commonwealth Conference schedule with a convincing 3-0 sweep over Elizabethtown College Tuesday evening in Lynch Gymnasium.

LVC (11-6, 1-0 Commonwealth) won by scores of 30-22, 30-12 and 30-25. The Flying Dutchmen were in control throughout and trailed the Blue Jays (5-5, 0-1 Commonwealth) just twice in the entire match. Elizabethtown’s only leads occurred when it scored the first point of the first and third games.

Brillhart, who entered the match leading the team with 2.90 kills per game, enjoyed her most productive outing of the season. The rookie made just four errors on 23 attempts for a season-best .565 hitting percentage. She was also solid defensively, making three blocks.

Bahn’s eight aces were a career-high and the most by a Dutchman this season. For good measure, she added nine digs and two blocks.

A pair of 6-0 runs gave LVC the victory in game one. An early 6-0 surge put the Dutchmen on top 8-2. After E-town had closed to within 16-12, LVC used another 6-0 spurt to open up its biggest lead of the game, 22-12. The Blue Jays could only cut the deficit to six the rest of the way.

LVC jumped to a commanding 12-1 advantage in game two and led by as much as 15 (20-5) at one point. Bahn orchestrated LVC’s decisive start, serving on nine straight points. Elizabethtown used a 6-0 run of its own to pull to within nine (21-12), but the Dutchmen gathered their second wind and closed the game with an 8-0 swing.

The third game was by far the closest of the night. LVC took an early 6-2 lead, but E-town refused to go quietly and tied the game at 11-11 with a 9-5 run. The Dutchmen tried to pull away again and enjoyed their biggest lead of the game at 20-12, but an 8-3 Blue Jay run cut the gap to 23-20. The Valley held together down the stretch, however, outscoring Elizabethtown 7-5 to clinch the game and match.

First-year student Catherine Roth (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) recorded a solid night at setter, dishing out 34 assists. Junior Sherri Pursel (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern) added seven kills while first-year player Katie Ferree (Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro) posted seven digs. Classmate Lexi Horstman (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) registered three blocks.

The Valley returns to action on Friday and Saturday when it competes in the Marymount University (Va.) Tournament.

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