GLASSBORO, N.J. – Lebanon Valley sophomore Jasmine Sullivan served up nine aces in two matches on Saturday for the Lebanon Valley volleyball team as the Dutchmen dropped a pair of hard-fought matches to Catholic University and Rowan University at the Esby Gymnasium on the campus of Rowan.
 
The Dutchmen (2-7) rallied to force a fifth set against Catholic (3-5) in their first match of the afternoon. The Cardinals won the first two sets 25-10 and 25-22 before LVC won the next two sets 27-25 and 25-19. Catholic used a big rally in the fifth set to win 15-5 and take the match by a 3-2 score. The host Profs then defeated the Dutchmen in three sets by scores of 25-12, 25-18, and 25-10.
 
Match vs. Catholic
Libby Lindau scored the first point of the match for the Dutchmen. Catholic answered with three of the next five to tie things up at three. The Cardinals used a big rally, scoring eight consecutive points to build an 11-3 advantage. They were able to increase the lead to 15-5 before three straight points from the Dutchmen, starting with a Sullivan point and ending with a Mattea Penner point, cut the deficit to seven. The Cardinals countered with another 8-0 run to go up 23-8. The teams traded the next four points as the Cardinals took the opening set.
 
Sullivan assisted Penner for the first point of the second set. Catholic scored three of the next four points to take a lead. Teaguen Reynolds recorded her first point of the set, Sullivan had an ace, and then Lindau and Reynolds posted a block assist to give the Dutchmen a 5-3 advantage. The lead was still at two points when Catholic used a 5-0 rally to go up by three. LVC countered with a big 7-2 run spearheaded by four consecutive points to retake a 14-12 lead. Lindau and Riley Mack each had a pair of points during the run. Catholic responded with eight of the next 10 points to reach 20 first and take a four-point advantage. LVC used a 6-2 run that included an ace by Sullivan and two aces by Reynolds to get within one at 23-22. The Cardinals were able to score the next two points to take the set and go up 2-0.
 
LVC started strong in the third set with an early 5-2 lead. Sullivan had an ace that gave the Dutchmen a 4-1 lead during the run. Mack had a pair of points to get the advantage up to 7-4 before Catholic scored on back-to-back serves to get within one. A service error, a point from Penner, and a Kylie Nagle service ace got the Dutchmen's lead up to 10-6. The Cardinals would not go away and kept the set close, and were eventually able to tie things up at 13. Lindau started a 4-1 run before the Cardinals scored three straight points to even the set back up. LVC got to 20 first, but Catholic scored five straight points to go up 23-20. The Dutchmen rallied, starting with a Sullivan point and tied the set up at 23 on a Penner point. LVC retook the lead with the set tied at 24 as Reynolds put away an overpass. Catholic tied things up before Penner and Mack had back-to-back points to send the match to a fourth set.
 
The Dutchmen scored the first three points of the fourth set before a 5-1 rally from Catholic gave the Cardinals the lead. LVC answered with a big service from Sullivan as the sophomore had three straight service aces during a 7-1 run. The Dutchmen used the momentum to increase the lead to five at 15-10. The Cardinals would not go away and were able to slowly chip into the lead and get within two points. It was still a two-point set at 20-18 when Lindau and Mack had back-to-back points, and Sofia Rios added an ace to put the Dutchmen on the brink of winning the set. After a pair of errors, Penner scored off an assist by Sullivan to give the Dutchmen a 25-19 set victory.
 
The Cardinals scored the first point of the set before Penner scored off an assist by Sullivan to make it 1-1. The teams battled back and forth over the first seven points with Catholic holding a slim 4-3 advantage. The Cardinals used eight straight points to build a 12-3 lead. LVC fought valiantly, but Catholic was able to use the run to win the set 15-5 and take the match.
 
Inside the Box

• Sullivan had seven service aces and 33 assists in the match. Her seven aces are the most since she recorded a program-record nine against King's last October. Sullivan also had eight digs and two kills.
• Penner led the team in kills with a match-high 18. She also recorded three assists, one ace, and seven digs.
• Lindau finished with 10 kills, two digs, and a block assist.
• Reynolds added six kills, two aces, and one block assist.
• The Dutchmen had a season-high 15 service aces with Lyla Arfanella and Rios contributing two apiece.
• Arfanella led the team in digs with a career-high 18.

 
Match vs. Rowan
Rowan (7-2) won the first point of the match before LVC rallied off four straight points by Margaret Cole, Penner, an Arfanella ace, and a Reynolds block. The Profs answered right back to tie the setup before using a 4-3 run to take an 8-7 advantage. Rowan used the momentum and scored nine of the next 11 points to build a 17-9 lead. Cole had a pair of points for the Dutchmen, and then Mack had a point before Penner and Cole blocked an attack to make it a six-point deficit. The Profs countered with seven straight points to reach set point. Penner scored off an assist from Sullivan to extend the set before Rowan scored the point they needed to take the opening set.
 
Sullivan began the second set with an ace. The Dutchmen added another point to go up by two before an 8-2 run by Rowan gave the Profs the lead. LVC battled back and used a strong run that included four consecutive points with Nagle serving to retake the lead at 10-9. Reynolds put away a feed from Sullivan, and then Sullivan added her second ace of the match to give LVC a two-point advantage. Rowan scored the next six points to go up by four, and despite strong play from Jillian Jefferys with a pair of points and a point by Lindau, the Profs reached 20 points first at 20-17. They kept the momentum of getting to 20 and won five of the next six points to win the set.
 
The third set was close early on as the Dutchmen battled back from an early 6-2 hole to even the score. Jefferys and Reynolds came up with a big block to finish off a 4-0 run that evened things up at six. Rowan responded with a commanding 10-1 run that was paused briefly by a Reynolds point. Sofia Okronley followed up a RU service error with an ace to make it 16-9 before Rowan scored six straight points to put the match on the brink of ending. The Profs were able to close out the match with three of the next four points.
 
Inside the Box

• Sullivan had 17 more assists and two aces to give her 50 assists and nine aces on the day. She also added five digs and a kill.
• Arfanella had 14 digs and an ace while Penner had a team-high six kills and nine digs.
• Jefferys recorded four kills in two sets.
• Reynolds finished with three kills and two total blocks, including a solo block.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will be in Reading on Wednesday, where they will face Penn State Berks. The first serve against the Lions is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Beaver Athletics and Wellness Center.

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