Hazleton offense sputters at Mont Alto quad meet

Mont Alto, Pa. - The Lady Lions (3-7, 1-3 PSUAC) returned to the court on Sunday for a pair of matches at Penn State Mont Alto and looked to get back in the win column, but hopes were dashed when they ran into the undefeated host team. Hazleton struggled against the potent service game of Mont Alto and was unable to convert offensively, leading to a three game sweep for the home team. Later in the day the Lady Lions faced off with Penn State Lehigh Valley, a match rescheduled from October 1, but were met with little more success as the Lehigh Valley hitters swatted their way to a 3-0 win over Hazleton.

Match 1: Penn State Mont Alto 3, Penn State Hazleton 0 (25-8, 25-3, 25-15)

Mont Alto controlled both the service game and attack effort in Sunday's match, spotting the ball from the end line for 16 aces while shutting down Hazleton's normally strong service attack. The Lions managed to keep pace with Mont Alto in attack attempts, but the comparison ends there as Mont Alto dominated the hitting category, striking the ball for 33 kills to just two for Hazleton. The home team opened up huge leads in each of the three sets to earn an impressive 3-0 sweep over the Lady Lions.

Mont Alto was led by Abby Herring who notched 17 kills in the win. Katie Muse served up team highs with six service aces and led the passing effort with 28 assists.

In a tough offensive outing for Hazleton, seniors Tina Beiland (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Miranda Dunne (Montrose, Pa.) registered one kill each in the losing effort.

Match 2: Penn State Lehigh Valley 3, Penn State Hazleton 0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-19)

The Lady Lions attack improved in game two of Sunday's quad meet, but Hazleton was unable to match the output of the Lehigh Valley offense, dropping the match three sets to none. The Lions were out-hit in the match 30-11 in kills and were stymied by a Lehigh Valley squad that repeatidly dug out Hazleton attack efforts.  

Lehigh Valley was led by Ebony Sanders who landed 12 kills and two services aces. Shellbie Yard tossed out 18 assists and four aces while Darleenn Altema-Bouzi added six kills in the victory.

Sophomore Hailey Trasacco (Hamden, Ct.) led the Lady Lions with five kills while teammate freshman Jena Koppenhaver (Myerstown, Pa.) added three kills and 14 digs.

Next Up

Hazleton will look to bounce back after a difficult road trip when they return to the Dr. Thomas M. Cacesse Gymnasium on Tuesday, September 20 for a PSUAC matchup with Penn State Worthington Scranton at 7:00 p.m.