Boxscore
WILMINGTON, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College volleyball team battled its way back to tie visiting Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference opponent Holy Family 1-1, but would eventually fall 3-1 on Tues. night at the Jones Center.
The Tigers, who improved to 4-10 (2-0 CACC), won the match 25-18, 24-26, 25-18 and 25-19. The loss drops the Lightning to 2-8 (0-3 CACC) and extends their losing streak to seven matches.
Fifth-year senior outside hitter Kellyn Nolan led the way for the Lightning with a team-high 10 kills, an assist, two service aces and two digs. Freshman setter Monica Dempsey also had a big day with a team-23 assists, four kills, one service ace and seven digs. Also, fifth-year senior Christine Hudock had three service aces (including a set-winner) and a team-high 13 digs. She now has 971 digs for her career.
Holy Family ran up a 5-1 early lead on the service of Jill Keeve and never looked back, winning the first set 25-18. Late in the set, Nolan and junior defensive specialist A.J. Hicks tried to will GBC back into the game with their service, but the Tigers' Jennifer O'Connor finished the Lightning off with two straight service points.
In the second set, GBC came out with vengeance, jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead on the service of Shaner. The two teams would then trade points for the entire set.
Following a kill by Nolan off an assist from Dempsey, the Lightning led 20-19. Dempsey then ran off five straight service points to give GBC a 23-20 lead.
But an Aly Keihl kill started a 4-0 Tiger run led by the service of Keeve, and suddenly Keeve was serving for the match point, up 24-23.
On the brink of losing their 20th straight set, Nolan responded with a kill off a Dempsey assist to knot the score at 24 apiece. Hudock would then score GBC two service points, including an ace to win the set and tie the match, 1-1.
The third set belonged to Holy Family, who never trailed and only allowed two ties. A service ace by Hudock tied the game at 7-7, but that would be the closest the Lightning would get as HFU ran off six straight service points to take a 13-7 lead and never looked back. The Tigers won the set 25-18 and took a 2-1 match lead.
In the fourth and final set, the Tigers pounced on GBC early and got off to a 10-2 lead. Dempsey rallied the Lightning back to within six and the two teams traded points for a while with GBC never getting within four points of HFU.
With Drabyn serving for match point, Nolan attacked a set by senior setter Lauren Witzke for a kill to keep the Lightning alive. Dempsey would run off three straight service points to bring GBC within five at 24-19, but a Lightning attack error would end the run and the match.
GBC looks to snap its seven-game losing streak on Thurs. night at 7 p.m. as the Lightning visit CACC rival Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia.
