Lehigh Drops League Opener On The Road At Bucknell

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Patriot League play kicked off on Friday evening for the Lehigh Mountain Hawks volleyball team on the road against the Bucknell Bison. The Mountain Hawks won a closely contested first set but fell 3-1 to the Bison to open the league slate.

Lehigh (6-4, 0-1 PL) earned a narrow 25-23 set one victory over Bucknell (4-6, 1-0 PL), hitting .237 in the frame. The set was back-and-forth the whole way, with the two teams trading the lead nine times. Leading 24-23 in the closing moments, senior Madison McCartney provided the set-clinching kill.

Set two was once again a tight one, but both teams struggled hit the ball efficiently. Lehigh hit .073 in the second while Bucknell mustered a .070 hitting percentage. The two teams combined for nine service errors and 16 attacking errors in the period. With the score tied 23-23, back-to-back Bucknell kills tied the match at 1-1.

The Bison stormed ahead in the third, cruising to a 25-16 third set victory. Bucknell hit an impressive .414 in the set while holding Lehigh to a .083 hitting percentage. The fourth set was much more competitive, once again coming down to the final moments. The Bison secured match point at 24-21 before kills by first-year Mary Massias and junior Jaidyn Garcia pulled the Mountain Hawks within one. However, a kill from Bucknell’s Bella Rodriguez secured the victory for the Bison.

Garcia led the Mountain Hawks with a career-high 13 kills. McCartney added eight kills on an efficient .412 hitting percentage while junior Ufuoma Omene also reached eight kills. Junior setter Abby Felkai paced Lehigh with 23 assists, sophomore libero Sophia Bond notched 23 digs and junior middle blocker Olivia Lasee tallied five total blocks on the night.

Tijana Kostic (14), Rodriguez (14) and Riley Tucker (10) all reached double-digit kills for Bucknell.

Lehigh will make the quick trip to take on Lafayette in The Rivalry on Saturday, September 20 at 5 p.m. from the Kirby Sports Center.

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