Box Score
Grantham, PA — Moving to 3-0 in the Commonwealth Conference was nice, but it wasn't the best part about Messiah's 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-20) win over visiting Arcadia University Tuesday evening.
The Falcons' program again raised money for the American Cancer Society with its annual 'Dig For The Cause' night, the team's fall leg of its yearly participation in the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life campaign.
In its third year of existence, Messiah (9-9, 3-0) donned purple-tinted uniforms and accepted donations from fans — with all proceeds going to cancer research funding.
“It's a good cause, and it's a cause very close to us collectively,” said Judi Tobias, Messiah head coach. “We've had members of our program whose families were affected by cancer, so this is something we will continue to do. To be able to get a solid conference win on the same night is an added bonus.”
Tobias' team did exactly that, blasting 37 kills to the Knights' six to run away with its fourth 3-0 blanking of the year. The Falcons opened the evening with an 11-3 spurt to start the first set, and held on to a narrow lead in the third to complete the sweep in just over an hour's time.
“I was very pleased with our play tonight,” Tobias said. “We're working consciously on not relaxing once we're ahead. Sometimes, we coast or put it in neutral when we get a lead. We didn't do that tonight.”
Freshman Lauren Rees helped Messiah generate an early advantage, blasting four of her eventual 15 kills in the Falcons' first 10 points of the night. Following a 25-12 laugher in the first set, Messiah utilized an 8-2 run in the second stanza to turn a 10-8 lead into an 18-10 advantage, eventually cruising to the 24-19 final.
Arcadia (7-7, 0-3) provided its only real resistance in the third set, as the Knights opened with a 7-2 lead. Another 8-2 run from the Falcons turned a 10-10 game into an 18-12 contest, but Arcadia responded with the next six points, as Knights' junior Jaqueline Sentz rattled off three consecutive service aces.
A timeout from Tobias quelled that trend, however, and Messiah closed with another run, outscoring Arcadia by a 7-2 count to sew the match up in three.
Rees notched her team-leading 15 kills off a .379 attack percentage, while classmate Lindsay King registered eight kills on a .357 clip. King also recorded a pair of assist blocks, while Rees finished with 11 digs.
Tobias used a combination of senior Lauren Bourdon and sophomore Meredith Seibert at the setter position, the duo combining for 22 of the team's 23 total assists (Bourdon 23, Seibert nine).
“I was pleased with the energy we demonstrated, and we stayed intense throughout the match,” Tobias said. “We didn't get rattled at any point, and those are the types of things we're trying to focus on in practice.”
Tobias said that the 'Dig For The Cause' drive produced a respectable donation to the American Cancer Society. Fans were invited to either make a straight donation or a pledge for each of Messiah's digs. The Falcons finished with 37 on the night.
Several of Messiah's players dedicated the match to loved ones, wearing arm bands revealing the names of family and friends.
“It's the third year we've been doing this, and we couldn't be happier about it,” Tobias said. “It's a great cause and is a reminder of what's really important in life.”
Messiah will take a weekend off before returning to play next week, continuing the conference grind at arch rival Elizabethtown College. The Falcons will visit E'Town's Thompson Gym next Tuesday night. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
