WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 12, 2021) -- In front of an electric crowd in McGrane Gymnasium on Tuesday evening, the King's College women's volleyball team saw five record double-digit dig totals to lead the Monarchs to a thrilling 3-2 win over cross-town rival Wilkes University in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play. The Monarchs remain undefeated at home and improve to 15-2 overall, 3-2 in the MAC Freedom, while the Colonels drop to 8-13 overall, 1-4 in the MAC Freedom.

King's continued their streak of leading early, jumping ahead 7-5, before Wilkes scored four straight points to lead, 9-7. The Monarchs went on a 5-1 run in response, but the Colonels had an answer of their own, taking a 15-2 lead on five unanswered points. The teams traded points, and it seemed as though Wilkes would put the set away, leading 20-16. King's would score the next six points to regain the lead, 22-20, and after a back-and-forth bout a kill from senior Cleo Schultz earned a set one win, 25-23, for the Monarchs.

The second set featured 12 ties and eight lead changes with neither team leading by more than two points until the Colonels went on a 7-1 run late in the set to take a 22-18 lead. The Monarchs got one more back, but Wilkes rattled off the final three points of the set to win set two, 25-19, and tie the match, 1-1.

After a 6-6 tie to start the third set, King's would score the next seven points led by two kills from senior Christie Brown, to lead, 13-6. The Monarchs continued to cruise through the set, leading 21-11, before the Colonels rallied to pull within four, 24-20, but Brown finished the set for King's, giving them the 25-20 win and a 2-1 lead in the game.

Wilkes commanded the fourth, leading 18-12. After a Monarchs substitution, the hosts went on a 5-2 run to inch within three, 20-17, but the Colonels matched the 5-2 rally to end the set, 25-19, and force the fifth set.

The visitors led early, 2-0, but kills from seniors Olivia Bunch and Danielle Kitchner put the Monarchs ahead, 4-2. Wilkes tied the set at five, but King's scored the next three. The Colonels pulled within one, 9-8, on a kiill from Sierra Hines, but the momentum swung back in favor of the Monarchs as they closed out the set on a 6-3 rally to win the final set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.

Kitchner led the offense with 10 kills, adding seven total digs, while Brown totaled nine kills. Bunch recorded eight kills while adding 12 digs and three blocks, and sophomore Emily Scott rounded out the offense with six kills. Senior Wiatt Hoffmann posted a double-double with 35 assists and 14 digs with two blocks. The stellar Monarchs defense was led by senior Toni Galasso with 27 digs, while first year Carly Shire totaled 13 and senior Karissa Hartzell recorded 11.

Wilkes was led by Alexis Reedy with a match-high 19 kills, adding 13 digs. Kelsey Carroll recorded 12 kills and a team-high 21 digs, while Alexa Cassel dished out 46 assists and added 18 digs.

As a team, King's hit .117 for the match (44-163), while holding the Colonels to a .101 hitting percentage (61-199). The Monarchs totaled 41 assists on their 44 kills, and they led the match in digs (89-87) over Wilkes.

The Monarchs head out for a three-game road stretch as they travel to Utica, NY for a tri-match with SUNY Poly and Utica on Saturday, October 16 starting at 1:00 p.m.