EDINBORO, Pa. — The Edinboro Fighting Scots (11-13, 4-8 PSAC) defeated Clarion (17-8, 8-4 PSAC) 3-1 on Saturday at McComb Fieldhouse. The Scots won the first two sets before dropping the third. They then made an impressive comeback in the fourth set, overcoming a 19-5 deficit to win 31-29 and secure the match.
First Set: Edinboro started strong, taking an early 4-1 lead behind kills from
Reilly Parent and
D'Aira Whitner, along with a Whitner block. Clarion fought back and eventually took an 11-8 lead. However, the Scots responded with strong serving from
Alexa Jordan and key kills from
Taylor Pucky, Parent and Whitner. With the score tied at 17-17, Edinboro pulled ahead thanks to a
Faith Schneider service ace and another Pucky kill. The Scots held on to win the set 25-21.
Second Set: Clarion scored the first three points, but Edinboro quickly answered to tie the set at 3-3. The Scots took control behind service aces from Parent and
Laney Burns. With Edinboro leading 14-11, Parent helped create separation with a strong serving run that included two aces and kills from
Grace Petro and Whitner. Edinboro extended its lead to 21-11. Clarion attempted to rally, scoring five straight points, but the Scots finished strong with kills from Parent, Schneider and Pucky to win 25-20.
Third Set: Clarion took control midway through the third set, building a 12-8 lead after a four-point run. Edinboro stayed within reach thanks to kills from Whitner, Pucky and Parent. The Scots later rallied from a 23-20 deficit, scoring four straight points to take a 24-23 lead. The teams battled through several ties, but Clarion eventually pulled away to win the set 29-27.
Fourth Set: The fourth set featured an incredible comeback by the Fighting Scots. Clarion jumped out to a commanding 19-5 lead, with Taylor Haupt recording three service aces during the run. Edinboro fought back and began closing the gap with kills from Parent and Petro before cutting the deficit to 21-13. Parent then led an incredible nine-point run from the service line, recording three aces while Whitner added three kills. The run gave Edinboro a 22-21 lead. Both teams traded points late in the set. After Clarion took a 29-28 lead, Whitner tied the score,
Suncica Lekic put Edinboro ahead, and a Clarion attack error sealed the 31-29 victory.
Several Fighting Scots had outstanding performances:
DAira Whitner: Led the team with 21 kills, hit .310 and recorded four blocks.
Reilly Parent: Finished with 18 kills, six service aces and 16 digs for a team-high 25.5 points.
Grace Petro: Recorded 38 assists and six digs.
Faith Schneider: Led the team with 20 digs while adding six kills and two service aces.
What's Next?
The Fighting Scots will travel to Indiana, Pa., to face Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m.
