BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh volleyball’s Steel Classic began play from Leeman-Turner Arena on Friday afternoon featuring the host Mountain Hawks, Sacred Heart, NJIT and Valparaiso. The Mountain Hawks kicked off the tournament with a 3-1 win over Sacred Heart and then swept NJIT 3-0.
Junior Ufuoma Omene led the way with 15 kills and three service aces for Lehigh (6-2) against Sacred Heart (1-6), while first-year Mary Massias added 10. Senior Madison McCartney hit a match-best .667 with eight kills and a team-high 11 total blocks, while senior Natalie Luscomb chipped in seven kills at a .313 clip.
The opening set was back-and-forth with 13 ties and four lead changes. Kills from Omene, Massias and Luscomb helped Lehigh pull away late before an attacking error secured the 25-23 set one win.
The Mountain Hawks were dominant defensively in set two, holding the Pioneers to a .048 hitting percentage. Lehigh jumped ahead to an 18-10 lead before Sacred Heart managed to pull within four at 22-18. A personal 3-0 run by Omene on a kill and two aces closed out the set for the Mountain Hawks.
Sacred Heart extended the match with a 25-17 win in the third. The Pioneers hit .200, their best mark of the match, while Lehigh was held to .273. The Mountain Hawks then turned it up in the fourth, hitting .394 on route to a 25-16 fourth set win and match victory.
The Mountain Hawks put on a commanding performance against NJIT (3-6), hitting .313 in the match while holding the Highlanders to a -.072 hitting percentage. Massias led the way with nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage while Omene and junior Jaidyn Garcia added seven kills apiece.
Lehigh picked up right where they left off to start the match, hitting .435 in set one. The Mountain Hawks jumped ahead to an 8-2 lead and didn’t look back, winning 25-14 in the first set. Lehigh dominated once again in the second, winning by a score of 25-13. The Highlanders put up more of a fight in the third, but a .333 hitting percentage in the frame helped guide the Mountain Hawks to the victory.
The Mountain Hawks will conclude action from the Steel Classic on Saturday, September 13 at 1:30 p.m. at Grace Hall against the Valparaiso Beacons.
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