Campus News

Cecil netters sweep short-handed Lady Lakers

Garrett College also swept by Pennsylvania Highlands CC

The Lady Lakers had to play Cecil College – one of the upper-echelon women’s volleyball teams in the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference – last Friday without ailing setter Sierra Smith. Cecil swept the match, 3-0, but Garrett College head coach Brittany Jackson with pleased with how Josie Canales performed in the role of emergency setter.

“For never playing setter before, Josie had an amazing match,” Jackson said of Canales, who had team highs in assists(seven), aces (two) and digs (six). “She had great sets and no ball-handling errors. She was the main contributor to Daphne Harman’s [team-high four kills] strong match.

Abi Hall contributed three kills for the host Lady Lakers, who struggled mightily in the first set before playing much more competitively later in the 25-4, 25-13, and 25-13 loss.

Garrett (0-6 overall, 0-5 league) committed 19 serve-receive errors, which played a key role in the loss.

“We definitely struggled with serve-receive against Cecil and that’s how #2 [Seahawk Lydia Davis, who had a match-high eight aces] took advantage of us,” added Jackson. “We actual had to switch from a three-person serve-receive to a two-person serve-receive in order to try to keep up with her.”

Davis also had a match-high eight kills as Cecil improved to 5-2, including 4-2 in Maryland JUCO. Amanda Wagner (six kills, seven digs), Crystal Lenk (five kills, team-high two blocks), and Micaela Rogers (four kills) also had strong hitting performances, while Cecil setter Skylar Klingler finished with a game-high 30 assists.

Garrett was much more competitive in last Monday’s 25-18, 25-11, and 25-16 loss at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.

“I would definitely say that Penn Highlands is more our speed and a team we can keep up with,” said Jackson. “They were just able to get quick leads on us. When that happens to us we struggle to close the gap.”

Canales and Harman combined to record 10 of Garrett’s 12 kills, including six by Canales, against Penn Highlands. Hall had the other two Lady Laker kills.

Smith notched a team-high eight assists with Canales recording Garrett’s other four helpers. Smith also finished with three of GC’s four aces, with Canales contributing one ace.

Maciah Holsopple finished with a match-high 15 kills and teammate Taylor Rapsky contributed 10 kills and 12 digs for Penn Highlands. Isabella Borlie (eight digs, two aces) led the hosts with a match-high 19 assists while Emily Bittner had a match-leading 16 digs.

Lauryn Calhoun also reached double-digit digs with 12.

The Lady Lakers host Westmoreland County Community College Wednesday at 6 p.m.