Boxscore

PIKE CREEK, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College volleyball team nearly won the first set, but Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference powerhouse Georgian Court proved to be too much as the visiting Lions handed the Lightning a 3-0 loss at the Jones Center Thurs. night.

Freshman Monica Dempsey and sophomore Roni Shaner led the way offensively for GBC, each recording five kills and eight assists. Dempsey and graduate senior Christine Hudock had 15 and 12 digs, respectively on the defensive end.

The loss drops the Lightning to 5-12 on the year as the defending CACC champion Lions improved to 11-7 and stayed perfect in conference play at 7-0.

GCU led for the majority of the first set, but each time the Lions tried to put the score out of reach, GBC answered with a short run to get right back in the set.

Trailing 19-15, Lightning head coach Rich Bowers called a timeout, and his team responded with a 5-1 run to tie the score at 20 apiece. That marked the first tie of the game since the score was 2-2.

A kill by Lissette Zayas (five kills, nine digs) put the Lions back on top 21-20, but Shaner answered with a kill off a pass by Dempsey to force another tie at 21 all.

Then a GCU attack error off a Shaner serve gave GBC its first lead of the game (22-21) since an early 2-0 advantage. But Zayas came up big once more for the Lions with another kill to knot the score at 22.

GBC then scored the next two points off kills by junior Charlotte Minshall and Monica Dempsey (both assisted by Shaner) and were serving for game point, up 24-22.

The Lightning were within inches of a first-set win, but Brandi Arsenault's (three kills, one assist) kill landed just inside the right sideline and the Lions were back within a point at 24-23.

The Lions would then score the next three points, finishing on a 4-0 run to take the first set, 26-24.

In the second set, the Lions pounced on GBC and got out to a 5-0 lead, but the Lightning fought their way back and eventually tied the score at 11.

After the 11-11 tie however, GCU took control. Up 17-14, the Lions closed out the match on an 8-2 run, winning the second set, 25-16.

GCU never trailed GBC in the third set, pulling away gradually with unanswered mini-runs. Down 18-12, A.J. Hicks tried to rally the Lightning back into the set and brought them within four at 18-14.

But four would be as close as GBC would get, as GCU's Alexa Santiago finished off the set and the match with four straight service points, as the Lions won the third set 25-16 for the 3-0 match sweep.

GBC is back in action on Sat. as the Lightning host CACC foe Caldwell College at 2 p.m.