LA PLUME, PA- Keystone College volleyball split a pair of matches Friday, falling to Wilmington College (Ohio), 3-0, before bouncing back in a big way with a 3-0 sweep of the University of Mount Saint Vincent.
Wilmington (Ohio) 3, Keystone 0
Keystone battled throughout its opening match of the day against Wilmington, which entered Friday with a 5-1 record.
The Giants came out strong offensively in the first set, recording 12 kills while hitting .212. Madison Woods (Camrose, Alberta, Canada/Ecole Camrose Composite) and Isabella Buonopane (Wake Forest, N.C./Archbishop Williams) each recorded four kills as Keystone stayed within striking distance before Wilmington secured the 25-19 victory.
Woods turned in one of Keystone's most efficient offensive performances of the match, recording seven kills on 12 attacks while hitting .417. She also added a block assist.
Buonopane led the Giants with nine kills on 26 attacks and finished with 13.5 points. She added four service aces, five digs and a block assist.
Hannah Ely (Wyalusing, PA/Wyalusing Valley Jr./Sr.) contributed six kills and 10 digs while adding a service ace and an assist. Nakaya Cridge (New Castle, IN/South Henry School Corporation) recorded three kills, three block assists and a service ace, while Anna Johnson (Niles, MI/Niles) added two kills, 10 assists and one ace while hitting .500.
Victoria Crampton (Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada/Assumption Jr./Sr.) anchored the Giants defensively with a match-high 16 digs. Ely added 10 digs, while Buonopane finished with five and Naema Alatorre (Brownsville, TX/Idea Frontier) recorded four.
After Wilmington took the second set, Keystone continued to battle in the third. The final frame featured eight ties and three lead changes, with the Giants continuing to push Wilmington throughout the set. Keystone recorded nine kills in the third before Wilmington ultimately closed out the match, 25-21.
Keystone finished the match with 28 kills, 26 assists, eight service aces, eight block assists and 41 digs.
Keystone 3, University of Mount Saint Vincent 0
Keystone opened its second match of the day with a strong performance, taking the first set, 25-20. The Giants continued to control the match in the second set, earning a 25-18 victory before closing out the night with a 25-22 win in the third.
Isabella Buonopane (Wake Forest, N.C./Archbishop Williams) led the Giants offensively with 10 kills on 20 attacks while hitting .400. She also recorded four service aces, one block assist and five digs to finish with a team-high 11.0 points.
Madison Woods (Camrose, Alberta, Canada/Ecole Camrose Composite) added nine kills on 18 attacks while committing just one error, finishing with a .444 hitting percentage. Nakaya Cridge (New Castle, IN/South Henry School Corporation) recorded five kills, while Aliya Noriega (Anchorage, AK/West Anchorage) added four and Martina Chesrown (Flowery Branch, GA/Cherokee Bluff) finished with two.
Keystone's defense was led by Victoria Crampton (Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada/Assumption Jr./Sr.), who recorded a match-high 13 digs. Woods and Nat Reyes (Lamont, CA/Arvin) each added seven digs, while Hannah Ely (Wyalusing, PA/Wyalusing Valley Jr./Sr.) also finished with seven.
Reyes provided a spark from the service line with four aces. Crampton added three, while Buonopane and Naema Alatorre (Brownsville, TX/Idea Frontier) each recorded two.
Keystone continued to build its offensive momentum throughout the match. The Giants recorded 11 kills in the opening set, 10 in the second and 13 in the third to close out the sweep.
Keystone finished the match with 34 kills, 21 assists, 11 service aces, one solo block, six block assists and 49 digs.
The Giants aim to keep this momentum heading into the second day of the Spirit of Service Volleyball Classic. Keystone takes on Elmira College at 2:00 PM, followed by taking on Cortland at 6:00 PM.
