WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 9, 2024) -- The King's College women's volleyball team were defeated by the Bulldogs of DeSales on Wednesday night in a 3-0 Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom matchup. The Monarchs are now 12-5 overall and 0-3 in conference play.
 
King's had a hot start with a 10-4 run that included Theresa Lynch (Jr.), Riley McArdle (Fy.), Kathy Shepherd (Jr.), Ashley Webber (Fy.), Lindsay Arezina (So.), and Emma Bolich (So.). The Bulldogs (7-11, 3-0 MAC Freedom) answered right back with their own 10-2 jolt to take a one-point lead and from then on, they were in control for the rest of the round. The Monarchs ultimately fell 25-16 in the first set.
 
The second set was much like the first as DeSales maintained their momentum. King's were down 11-7 when they produced four straight points thanks to Jessica Menze (Fy.), Shepherd, and Lynch to tie the game. The Monarchs continued to pester their visitors, but the Bulldogs had every answer. King's scored back-to-back tallies by Menze and Hannah Swinsburg (Fy.) to keep the set alive. Though the Monarchs'  last efforts were cut short as DeSales took the second set 25-17.
 
It was a must win set for King's as they went back-and-forth to start the third. The Bulldogs created a 7-2 burst to gain a five-point cushion, while King's came back with vengeance and responded back with a 4-1 spurt to get within two of their adversaries. The visitors retaliated with four straight points, but the Monarchs rallied with a 6-1 run that comprised of kills by Lynch and Mia Campanile (Jr.) to make the score 16-15 DeSales. The Bulldogs regained control and remained victorious 25-18.
 
King's ended with 27 kills on 27 assists, five aces, and 46 digs. Lynch had a team-high of seven kills and Keely Hoban (Sr.) dished out 17 assists. Morgan Williams (Jr.) fueled the defense with 12 digs for the night.
 
DeSales finished with 35 kills, 30 assists, seven aces, seven blocks, and 40 digs. Allison Reimer (Fy.) led the team with nine kills and a hitting percentage of .429, while Veda Doxzen (Fy.) produced 18 assists. On the defensive end, Samantha Worontzoff (Sr.) and Paige Lewis (Sr.) collected three blocks each. Grace Pfaff (Fy.) gathered 12 digs for the evening.
 
The Monarchs will be on the road for a tri-match in New Kensington, PA on Saturday, October 12^th at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. against Penn State New Kensington and Penn State Du Bois. The squad will be back home in McGrane Gymnasium for some MAC Freedom action against Misericordia at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15^th.