PHILADELPHIA — The Edinboro volleyball team swept Jefferson twice in straight sets at Gallagher Athletic Center on Saturday, with final scores of 25-19, 25-20, 25-18 in the opener and 25-11, 25-15, 25-18 in the finale.

In the opener, Edinboro opened the first set with a quick kill from Makayla Neelands, leveling the score at 1-1 after an initial exchange of points. Midway through the set, the Rams capitalized on a few Edinboro errors to take a 13-12 lead, but Grace Petro and Emma Hiott responded with a series of kills, swinging the momentum back to the Scots. With a late surge, including a kill by Faith Schneider and a handling error by Jefferson, Edinboro secured the set win 25-19.

In the second set, Edinboro took an early 2-0 lead, highlighted by a kill from Schneider. The Scots maintained their momentum, with Reilly Parent contributing crucial kills to extend their advantage to 5-1. Although the Rams' Jaysa Even responded with two consecutive kills, Hiott and Neelands were instrumental in keeping Edinboro ahead. Despite attempts by Jefferson to close the gap, the Fighting Scots maintained control with service aces from Parent and Molly Stayer, allowing Edinboro to secure the set with a score of 25-20.

In the third set against Jefferson, Edinboro took an early lead, capitalizing on errors by their opponents. At 4-1, Neelands extended Edinboro's advantage with a service ace. Schneider further increased the lead to 9-5 with a kill, and a Molly Stayer ace extended it to 11-5. Burns and Parent each added key points, while a block by Maggie Koster and Parent increased the lead to 18-11. Despite a brief rally by Jefferson, Edinboro closed out the set 25-18, completing the match.

In the second match, Edinboro opened the first set with a commanding performance, quickly establishing an 8-0 lead powered by Neelands, who contributed three service aces and a kill during this stretch. Jefferson attempted to respond, narrowing the gap to 8-4 with Emily McKenna's efforts, but the Scots' defense and consistent attacks, especially from Reilly Parent and Josephine Bailey, pushed the lead to 16-6. The Scots capitalized on attack errors and service aces, closing the set at 25-11 with Neelands securing the final point with another service ace.

The second set featured a series of strategic plays and momentum shifts. After an early 5-1 lead by Jefferson, marked by a service ace from Kate Hines, Edinboro responded. Parent and Neelands each recorded kills, leveling the score at 5-5. A pivotal moment occurred when Laney Burns served an ace followed by a kill from Neelands, securing a 13-10 advantage for the Scots. Parent's three consecutive service aces powered Edinboro to a commanding 21-15 lead, concluding the set with a decisive 25-15 victory.

In the third set, Edinboro took an early lead with a point from an attack error by Jefferson. However, the Rams quickly responded, with McKenna earning a kill to tie the score at 1-1. A brief back-and-forth ensued, but Jefferson managed to pull ahead to a 6-3 lead thanks to a service ace by Evelynn Mufalli at 13-6. Edinboro countered with a strong performance from Neelands, who contributed multiple kills, including one at a crucial moment to tie the score at 7-7. The Scots then went on a scoring run with Neelands again leading the charge, extending their lead to 21-16. Despite Jefferson's efforts, Edinboro maintained their momentum, with Neelands securing the final point of the set with a kill, concluding the set 25-18.

Schneider led the offense against Jefferson with 12 kills and a .455 hitting percentage, while Neelands notched a team-leading 14 kills with a .406 hitting percentage against Thomas Jefferson. Parent finished the game against Thomas Jefferson with 10 kills and four service aces, along with seven digs. Burns recorded 16 assists and a pair of service aces against Thomas Jefferson, while Petro added 17 assists and one service ace in the match against Jefferson.