WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 1, 2026) - The King's College women's volleyball team battled Penn State Hazleton through five sets on Tuesday evening, but the Monarchs ultimately fell just short in a 3-2 thriller inside McGrane Gymnasium. King's dropped the opening set, 25-22, before responding to take the second, 25-18. Penn State Hazleton claimed the third, 25-18, before the Monarchs forced a decisive fifth set with a dominant 25-15 victory in the fourth. The visitors ultimately escaped with a narrow 16-14 win in the final frame.
Weronika Malinowski led the Monarchs offensively with a team-high 17 kills while adding 13 digs and two service aces. Riley McArdle anchored the King's defense with an impressive 41 digs, while Ariela Towsey and Izzy Deluco directed the offense with 21 and 19 assists, respectively.
The Monarchs battled throughout a tightly contested opening set. After Penn State Hazleton took an early lead, King's used a 3-0 run to build a 12-9 advantage. The teams continued to trade points down the stretch before consecutive Malinowski kills and a Deluco service ace gave the Monarchs a 22-21 lead. Penn State Hazleton answered with the final four points, however, to take the 25-22 victory.
King's wasted no time responding in the second set, exploding out to a commanding 5-0 lead. Penn State Hazleton battled back to pull within one, but the Monarchs maintained control throughout the remainder of the frame. Back-to-back kills from Lindsay Arezina helped King's pull away late before a Towsey service ace brought the Monarchs to set point. An attack error secured the 25-18 victory and evened the match at one set apiece.
The visitors responded in the third set, building a lead that reached as many as eight points. King's continued to battle and cut the deficit to five late in the frame, but Penn State Hazleton claimed the final two points to take the 25-18 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
Facing a must-win fourth set, the Monarchs delivered their most dominant performance of the night. King's used a 4-0 run to build an 11-6 advantage before continuing to pull away throughout the frame. Deluco added a service ace during the decisive stretch as the Monarchs built a commanding 23-13 lead and eventually secured the 25-15 victory to force a fifth set.
The deciding set was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to gain significant separation. The Monarchs held an 11-10 advantage before the teams continued to trade points down the stretch. King's tied the score at 13-13 before taking a 14-13 lead and earning match point. Penn State Hazleton responded with three consecutive points, however, to claim the final two points of the match and secure the 16-14 victory.
King's totaled 49 kills and 95 digs in the five-set battle as they opened their 2026 campaign. The Monarchs will look to bounce back Friday when they host Gwynedd Mercy (3Â p.m.) and Penn State Schuylkill (7Â p.m.) for a tri-match.
--MONARCHS--
