ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley volleyball team fought back from an early hole in a tight five-set match against Elizabethtown College on Wednesday evening in the team's home opener at Sorrentino Gymnasium in Annville. The visiting Blue Jays were able to come away with a 3-2 victory as they took the fifth set 15-10.
 
Jillian Jefferys gave the Dutchmen (2-5) the first point of the night with a big hit. The Blue Jays (5-2) responded with five of the next six points to go up 5-2. LVC countered with three straight points as Sofia Rios tied the set up at five on a service ace. Elizabethtown answered with four of the next five points before LVC came right back with three consecutive points to tie things up at nine. The teams battled back and forth until Etown used a 6-1 run to go up 18-13. LVC answered right back with a run of their own, scoring six of the next eight points to cut the deficit to 20-19 following back-to-back points from Mattea Penner. The score of the set was 22-21 when Etown finished the set strong with three of the four points to take the lead.
 
After an EC point to begin the second set, LVC jumped out to a 7-3 lead with a pair of blocks, a point from Penner, and two points by Casey Levan. The Dutchmen's lead grew to 13-6 as the Dutchmen used a strong serve by Lyla Arfanella to score four consecutive points. Elizabethtown slowly began to mount a comeback attempt in the set, but the Dutchmen answered every point or set of points by the Blue Jays and were able to extend the lead to 22-13. The Blue Jays did not go away quietly and were able to get the deficit down to six points before Teaguen Reynolds ended the set with a big point in the middle of the floor.
 
The third set started strong for LVC as they scored 10 of the first 15 points in the set. They had three blocks and two service aces to fuel the run. The lead grew to 15-9 following a big block by Libby Lindau and Sofia Okronley. The Blue Jays responded with the next nine points to take an 18-15 advantage in the set. They increased the lead to 21-17 following a service ace. The Dutchmen fought back and recorded the next three points on a block and points from Reynolds and Jefferys. The deficit was still one at 23-22 following a Penner ace, but the Blue Jays scored two of the next three points to take the set and retake the lead in the match.
 
The fourth set began with the teams trading points back and forth. Elizabethtown used four consecutive points to turn an 8-7 deficit into an 11-8 lead. LVC answered right back with four points to reclaim the lead. The Blue Jays scored the next four points, and then LVC used a 5-0 run to take a 17-15 lead. The set was tied at 18 when the Dutchmen used three straight errors by the visitors to take a 21-18 lead. Penner got the Dutchmen to 24-20 with a point before Etown scored three straight to get within one. An attack error by the Blue Jays ended the set and sent the match to a deciding fifth set.
 
Jefferys scored the first point of the set, and the teams traded points back and forth. The Blue Jays reached eight first as they were in the middle of a 5-0 run that turned a tied set at six into an 11-6 advantage. Penner and Jefferys got the Dutchmen within three at 12-9, but that was as close as LVC could get as the Blue Jays scored three of the next four points to take the match.
 
Inside the Box

• Penner had a season-high 17 kills, 14 digs, and a career-high five block assists. Her 21.5 points were the second-most in her career.
• Lindau was also in double figures with a season-high 12 kills and three block assists.
• Jefferys finished with 10 kills and six total blocks with one solo block and five block assists.
• Reynolds added nine kills and a team-high seven block assists.
• Arfanella led the team in digs with 17, while Sofia Rios had a team-high four aces and 12 digs.
• Sofia Okronley had a career-high 49 assists, 10 digs, and one block assist.
• The Dutchmen had an advantage in points (82-0-71.0), kills (60-57), aces (9-7), blocks (13-7), and assists (58-50).

Up Next
The Dutchmen will be back in New Jersey on Saturday for a tri-match at Rowan University. LVC will take on Catholic at 1 p.m. before facing the hosts, Rowan, in Glassboro.

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