KINGSVILLE, Texas — The Edinboro women's volleyball team faced tough competition at the Javelina Volleyball Classic, dropping a close match to Montana St. Billings 3-2 (20-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-14, 13-15) before falling to MSU Moorhead 3-1 (19-25, 22-25, 25-15, 14-25) on Friday.
In the match against Montana St. Billings, the opening set was tightly contested, with Edinboro managing to stay even at 6-6.
Reilly Parent contributed two early kills, while
D'Aira Whitner and
Maggie Koster also made their presence felt. The Yellow Jackets pulled ahead 11-7, but the Scots narrowed the gap to a single point at 13-12 thanks to a Koster block and two Izzy Ping attack errors. As the set progressed, Edinboro rallied to tie at 19-19, but Montana St. Billings closed out the set 25-20.
The Fighting Scots rebounded in the second set, taking an early lead of 5-3. However, the Yellow Jackets surged ahead 10-6, capitalizing on two Emma Fairbairn aces and two Laina Whitney kills. The Scots responded with a series of points, including a run from
Laney Burns that shifted the score to 15-14 in favor of Edinboro. After a back-and-forth battle, the Scots secured the set 25-22, highlighted by three consecutive kills from Neelands.
The third set saw the Fighting Scots trade points early, but the Yellow Jackets managed to gain an advantage and took the set 25-19. Edinboro came out strong in the fourth set, starting with six consecutive points on
Grace Petro's serve, ultimately winning the set 25-14. The fifth set was a nail-biter, with the teams trading points until the Yellow Jackets clinched the match with a 15-13 victory. Neelands led the Scots with 17 kills and 20 digs, while Petro recorded 28 assists.
In their subsequent match against MSU Moorhead, the Scots initially fell behind 12-8 but rallied to tie at 12-12 through kills from Whitner, Neelands, and Koster. Despite their efforts, the Dragons took control at 19-19 and closed out the set 25-19. The second set started in Edinboro's favor with Koster's service ace, but the Dragons responded with a series of points, ultimately winning the set 25-22.
The Scots found their rhythm in the third set, with Neelands leading the charge and Edinboro dominating to claim the set 25-15. However, the Dragons regained momentum in the fourth set, taking the match with a final score of 25-14. Neelands led the team again with 12 kills, while Pucky tallied four service aces and seven kills.
Up next, the Fighting Scots face University of Findlay on Saturday, Sept. 5, at noon in Kingsville, Texas.
