Elizabeth, Pa- After a strong first day at the USCAA Classic, the Greater Allegheny women returned to action earlier this morning, placing fourth overall in the tournament. The GA women were beaten 2-0 (10-25, 13-25) by UC-Clermont, but still qualified for the third-place game. In that game, they were beaten by PSUAC rival, Penn State Fayette, 3-0 (16-25, 6-25, 8-25).
GA got off to a tough start in the first set against Clermont, trailing 5-1 early. The women would quickly counter, tying the score at 5-5. Unfortunately for Greater Allegheny, that would be the final time the set was tied, as UC-Clermont ended the game on a 20-5 scoring run.
In set 2, GA found themselves bombarded right away- Clermont would sprint out to a 7-1 lead. A kill and service ace from freshman Erin Osiecki (McDowell, PA) closed the gap to 18-13, but UC-Clermont would score the next seven points to win the set and match.
Sophomore Alyssa Finocchi (Baldwin, PA) was strong defensively for GA, with 10 service receptions. Fellow sophomore Audra Besnak (Steel Valley, PA) was also strong in that department, earning 7 service receptions.
Greater Allegheny got off to a great start in the third-place game against Penn State Fayette, as they led 11-10 following an ace from freshman Haley Worden (Madonna, PA). Following two more ties and a mini Fayette run, GA trailed just 18-15. That would be the high-water mark however, as Fayette ended the set with an abrupt 7-1 run.
Sets two and three were nearly carbon copies of each other, seeing Penn State Fayette dominate Greater Allegheny throughout. Fayette would win set two 25-8, then follow with a 25-6 win in set three.
Sophomore Corinne Wilson (Bethel Park, PA) was strong on offense for GA, with 3 kills. Erin Osiecki had 4 kills, while Haley Worden pitched in 8 assists.
Despite the two losses, Greater Allegheny will look to build on its fourth-place finish and 2-3 overall record. The women get a ten-day layoff, before a September 11 match against La Roche. Tip-off is set for 7 pm.
