WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 21, 2026) - The King's College women's volleyball team fell to Misericordia University 3-1 in MAC Freedom action on Wednesday evening at Scandlon Gymnasium. The Cougars claimed the opening two sets 25-23 and 25-7 before the Monarchs battled back to take the third 27-25. Misericordia secured the fourth set 25-20 to claim the match, dropping King's to 13-7 overall and 1-4 in conference play.
Bella Boylan led the Monarchs offensively with a match-high 12 kills while adding 14 digs and four service aces. Weronika Malinowski followed with seven kills and 10 digs, while Hannah Swinsburg contributed six kills, two solo blocks and a block assist. Ariela Towsey directed the King's offense with 24 assists and eight digs, while Riley McArdle anchored the defense with a team-high 15 digs.
The Cougars jumped out to an early 6-3 advantage in the opening set before King's began chipping away at the deficit. Misericordia maintained its lead throughout the middle stages, eventually extending its advantage to 23-17. The Monarchs responded with five consecutive points, highlighted by a Boylan kill, a Swinsburg kill and a Swinsburg solo block, to pull within one at 23-22. After the Cougars reached set point, King's cut the deficit to 24-23, but Misericordia secured the final point to claim the opening frame 25-23.
Misericordia carried its momentum into the second set, using a seven-point run to build an early 8-1 advantage. The Cougars continued to pull away, extending their lead to 15-2 before eventually taking a commanding 21-4 advantage. King's was unable to overcome the early deficit as Misericordia claimed the second set 25-7 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Monarchs responded in the third set after falling behind 3-0 early. Trailing 7-6, King's rattled off five consecutive points, highlighted by a Malinowski kill, a Swinsburg solo block and a Boylan service ace, to take an 11-7 advantage. The Cougars battled back to even the frame at 13-13, and the teams continued trading points throughout the remainder of the set. With Misericordia holding a 24-23 advantage, Boylan delivered a kill to even the score before a Cougars attack error gave King's a 25-24 lead. After Misericordia tied the set once more, the Monarchs capitalized on consecutive Cougars attack errors to secure the 27-25 victory and extend the match.
Misericordia regained control early in the fourth set, jumping out to an 8-4 advantage before extending its lead to 12-6. The Monarchs responded with four consecutive points, highlighted by a Boylan kill, to pull within two at 12-10. King's continued battling throughout the frame, using a Bolich kill and a Malinowski service ace to cut the deficit to 20-19. The Cougars answered by scoring five of the final six points to take the set 25-20 and secure the 3-1 victory.
King's will return to action on Tuesday, October 27, when the Monarchs host Arcadia University in MAC Freedom action at McGrane Gymnasium. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
--MONARCHS--
