Box Score
LANGHORNE, PA - For the third time in as many years, the women's volleyball team secured the NCCAA II East Region Championship, this time downing Lancaster Bible College in straight sets on Saturday.
The Crimson Eagles used a tremendous defensive effort on Saturday against the Chargers, limiting the second-seeded visitors to a -0.21 hitting percentage throughout the afternoon. PBU also collected 13 block assists in the win, their fourth highest number of the year.
PBU would jump out early during the opening game in the title bout, sprinting to a 4-0 edge before ballooning their advantage to 18-10. Lancaster would provide a mini-spurt and would close the gap to 19-13, but a 6-2 run down the stretch would provide the host squad with a 25-15 triumph during the opening rally.
The Crimson Eagles would once again jump out to an early edge during the second stanza, rolling to a 10-3 lead. Play would see-saw back and forth during the middle part of the set, but three straight attack errors down the stretch from the Chargers would help vault PBU to a 25-13 win.
Lancaster would continue to battle, and despite an early 6-2 deficit, the Chargers would claw to maintain the four point spread over the next 10 minutes of action, trailing just 12-8 halfway through. LBC would stay within 22-18, but three straight points to close things off would ultimately give PBU their third straight title.
Betsy Ranck posted 30 assists in the win while Carly Plank added 10 kills and 12 digs. Rachel Calderon also posted a double-double ending the contest with 10 spikes and 10 stops defensively, and Kay Lynn Zeiset would chart 14 digs and three aces.
The volleyball team will temporarily shift focus back to CSAC play when the group competes in the first round of the playoffs next Tuesday in the Mason Activity Center at 7:00 pm. The Crimson Eagles will go up against either Marywood University or Centenary College, depending on how things shake out this weekend.