S. MICHAEL HUTCHESON
STAFF WRITER
The Lady Barons volleyball team was defeated by Mt. Aloysius in a tense 3-0 game Wednesday at home.
The Lady Barons began the game with energy, taking a 9-3 lead right out of the gate. The set was filled with surprises, including a mean service ace from freshman outside hitter and defensive specialist Becky Murgia.
Mt. Aloysius started to push back, though, and the team eroded Franciscan’s lead to 9-8. The Lady Barons called a timeout shortly after. The rest of the first set was a very tense, back-and-forth struggle for the lead, which the Mounties managed to win, always staying a few points ahead of Franciscan. Mt. Aloysius took the first set 25-19.
The second set proceeded in a more evenly-matched manner, and following several serving errors from the Mounties, the two teams stayed neck-and-neck for most of the set, eventually reaching a score of 15-15. The Mounties took the lead after several exciting plays, including an impressive kill from senior outside hitter Maria Ciola. The Lady Barons managed to grab a few more points before the Mounties took the set 25-20.
The Mounties continued strong into the third set, taking a six-point lead early on and refusing to relinquish it. The Lady Barons mustered their strength and battled back as much as they could, erasing most of Mt. Aloysius’ lead later in the set. Despite their best efforts, the Lady Barons lost the third set 25-21, and the game 3-0.
Despite the loss, Head Coach Kelly Herrmann was pleased with the improvements that the team has been making to its game. “I really feel like it was a pretty good match for us,” she said. “We definitely made some strides in the right direction. … We’ve got to continue to improve and the girls will certainly do their best.”
The Lady Baron’s next game will be against Capital University on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Finnegan Fieldhouse. They will be celebrating Armed Services Night to honor all the men and women who fight to defend the United States of America.