Box Score

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Sophomore Laura Cinicola (Tamaqua, Pa./Marian Catholic) served up nine straight points to start the match for the Lycoming College volleyball team, as it used the early run to lead it to its first win over Lebanon Valley since 2003 and move into position to clinch its second Commonwealth Conference playoff slot in as many years with a 3-1 (25-9, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20) win at Lamade Gym on Wednesday night, Oct. 17.
 
The Warriors (19-6 overall, 4-4 Commonwealth) moved into a tie for fifth place in the conference with Lebanon Valley (17-13 overall, 4-4 Commonwealth), but with the head-to-head win, the Warriors hold the tiebreaker with one conference match left, against Arcadia on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at Lamade Gym, needing to win to clinch a playoff slot.
 
The Flying Dutchmen had won eight straight matches against the Warriors, with Lycoming posting just one set win in the rivalry since a 3-2 win in 2003 at Lamade Gym.
 
Freshman Bethany Richardson (York, Pa./West York Area) led the Warriors with 24 kills, the most in the Commonwealth Conference this season, as she hit a solid .538 (24-3-39). The freshman middle hitter added eight digs and three blocks, helping lead the Warriors, who hit a solid .299 (63-19-147) in the match.
 
Senior Jackie Oliva (Barnesville, Pa./Mahanoy Area) added 12 kills, hitting .370, to go with three blocks and junior Shelby Gear (Rochester, N.Y./Gates-Chili) posted 11 kills, four digs and four blocks. Junior Katelyn McKillop (Mount Pocono, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) had a solid match with 47 assists, 14 digs and two aces.
 
Several other had solid matches, with sophomore Kylee Sutton (Wysox, Pa./Towanda Area) posting seven kills and three blocks and junior Chelsee Strine (South Boardman, Mich./Forest Area) added eight kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Kristin Whitehead (Avon, Ohio/Avon) added 21 digs, including several diving stops, and three aces.
 
Lycoming leaped out to a 16-1 lead in the first set, with Cinicola serving up nine straight points and McKillop adding seven more. From there, the Warriors cruised to the 25-9 win. In the second set, the Warriors took an 11-5 lead, but the Dutchmen used a 7-1 run to tie the set and a four-point run by the Dutchmen’s Emily Sides helped them move on for a 25-22 run.
 
The Warriors again jumped out to a big 13-5 lead in the third set, but Sides served up five straight points to close within two points and the Dutchmen went on to tie the set twice, but never took the lead. With the score 22-21, Richardson posted a kill and Gear followed with another to help the Warriors take the 25-22 win.
 
In the fourth set, the teams fought to a tie at 18 when a kill by Richardson gave Lycoming the lead and was followed by four points on her serve to put it in control en route to the 25-20 win.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Thursday, Oct. 18, when they head to Misericordia for a 7 p.m. match. Live audio will be available on ESPNWilliamsport.com.