WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – With a pair of 3-0 sweeps, the Lycoming College volleyball team swept a pair of matches to start the 2017 season at Lamade Gym, posting wins over Penn College and Clarks Summit on Saturday, Sept. 2.
  To wrap up the day, the Warriors (2-0 overall) hit .338 (31-9-65) while holding Clarks Summit to a negative hitting percentage in a 3-0 (25-14, 25-15, 25-10) sweep.
 
Freshman Molly Ball (Sayre, Pa./Sayre Area) led the team with 10 kills and four blocks on just 15 swings, while sophomore Katie Hausknecht (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) added six kills and a block. Ten Warriors provided offense with at least a kill and the defense schooped up 30 digs, led by nine from junior libero Emily Hepner (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley). Senior Catherine Burger (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) posted 14 assists and sophomore Emily Morris (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) added seven assists and two aces.
 
The Defenders were led by nine kills and five digs from Kara Brown. Alexa Wagner added nine assists and Grace Evans posted six digs.
 
The Warriors hit nearly .300 in their season opener en route to a solid 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-15) win over Penn College.
 
Sophomore Alysa McDevitt (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) led the Warriors with eight kills and two blocks in two sets and freshman Molly Ball (Sayre, Pa./Sayre Area) added seven kills and freshman Elle Jednorski (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) posted six kills and six aces. In one set, freshman Kiannah Titus (Clay, N.Y./Baldwinsville) added five kills.
 
Sophomore Darci Warriner (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro) posted eight digs and junior Emily Hepner (Leesport, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) finished with seven. Senior Catherine Burger (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford) finished with 22 assists, three kills and two aces. Freshman Emily Konopka (Wrightstown, N.J./Northern Burlington Regional) added four aces and three kills.
 
The Warriors jumped out to a 17-2 lead in the first set off 11 straight points and despite a Wildcat rally, held on for a 25-13 win. In the second set, the Warriors held off a tight challenge through most of the set from the Wildcats, using an 8-1 run to close out the set. In the third set, Lycoming smashed down 15 kills and hit .344, separating from the Wildcats with a final 13-5 run to earn a 25-15 win.
 
Penn College was led by four kills, 11 assists and four digs from Sophie Coldsmith. Christine Limbert also added four kills and Jordyn Smeltzer posted nine digs and a block.
 
The Warriors get back on the court on Wednesday, Sept. 6, when they open the MAC Commonwealth season by heading to Alvernia for a 7 p.m. match.