WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Sophomore Ali Koval (Mansfield, Pa./North Penn-Mansfield) crossed 500 career digs a match into her second year with the Lycoming College volleyball team, helping lead it to a season-opening 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-22) win over Penn College on Thursday evening, Sept. 1, in Lamade Gym.
 
Koval scooped up 24 digs in the three-set match to give her 504 in her career, as the Warriors (1-0 overall) scooped up 55 digs to Penn College's 43 and they also held a 29-23 advantage in kills.
 
First-year Cameron Upcraft (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) notched 10 kills and hit .421 in her debut, adding three of the team's 12 service aces. Sophomore Brynne Bisel (Julian, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) posted four kills, four aces and 12 digs and both senior Elizabeth Kelson (Denville, N.J./Morris Catholic) and sophomore Arianna Santos (Oxford, Pa./Oxford Area) each had five kills. Sophomore Kendall Myers (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) added four aces and sophomore Ellie Norton (Morgantown, Pa./Twin Valley) posted 15 assists and five digs.
 
The Warriors jumped out to a 13-5 lead in the first set, as they cruised to the 25-12 win, thanks to holding the Wildcats to winning just 36 percent of their sideouts. In the second set, Upcraft served up five straight points to give Lycoming a 19-15 lead and help it hold off the Wildcats, 25-19. The Wildcats stayed close for most of the third set, but a kill from Kelson made it 23-21 and another kill from Upcraft ended the match.
 
The Wildcats hit .061 in the match, led by eight kills from Christine Limbert. Coryn Oswald had 16 digs and Brooke Simmons 15. Cheyenne Stein notched 17 assists.
 
The Warriors host the Lycoming College Tip-Off Tournament this weekend, starting on Friday, Sept. 2, by hosting Clarks Summit at 4 p.m. before taking on Hilbert at 8 p.m.