MEDIA, PA. – The Ursinus College women's volleyball team improved to 7-0 on the season after sweeping a tri-match between Bryn Athyn and Penn State Brandywine on Saturday afternoon in non-conference action.
The Bears put on an offensive show combining for a .376 hitting percentage between both matches while totaling 45 aces on the day.  
 
Ursinus vs Bryn Athyn (25-7, 25-8, 25-9)

During their first match the Bears were led by sophomore Caroline Sherman on the offensive side as she collected 11 kills with a hitting percentage of .733. Sophomore Rachel Bernard paced the offense with 15 assists while tying the match-high of six aces. Senior Luca Walborn had an impressive first match as well, totaling double-digit assists and tying Bernard with six aces. Senior Katie Cressman anchored the backline earning five digs and seven kills while first-year Reena Robinson added six kills and two digs.
In the first set, the Bears jumped out to a commanding 10-3 lead as Sherman and first-year Noelle Smits each earned two aces. Ursinus stretched their lead to ten after Cressman picked up a kill from an assist by Emma Illovsky. With the score 15-5, the Bears used a 6-0 run behind four Cressman aces and a kill from Sherman to make the score 21-5. Ursinus closed out the set after Bernard earned back-to-back aces to give Ursinus a 1-0 match lead.

The Lions battled back early in the second set as they jumped out to a 5-4 lead after a Bears error. After each team traded points, Walborn assisted on a Cressman kill to tie the match at six a piece. With the match tied 8-8, the Bears rallied off 17 consecutive points in a row to close out the second set, 25-8. Robinson, Sherman, and Madison Vinovrski each earned two kills over the Bears run while Walborn earned six aces including four in a row at one point.

The Bears carried the momentum in the final set as they jumped out to a 7-3 lead after kills from Haley Spotts and Robinson snuck by the Lions defense. Ursinus stretched their lead to double-digits midway through the match after a 7-1 run was capped off by an ace from senior Ashley Kelly to make the score 16-6. The Bears closed out the match on a 9-3 run, behind two aces each for Bernard and Smits.

Ursinus vs Penn State Brandywine  
The Bears carried the momentum into their second match of the day as they swept by Penn State Brandywine in straight sets 25-10, 25-9, and 25-11. Ursinus was led by Cressman as her first double-double of the season collecting 17 kills and 15 digs. Walborn (13), Bernard (9), and first year Erin Dychdala (8) combined for 30 assists for the Bears while Sherman, Robinson, and Claire Worley totaled 15 aces in the second match.

The Nittany Lions traded points with the Bears in the opening minutes of the first set as there were five lead changes. With the match tied at 10, the Bears rallied off four straight points behind Smits and Cressman combining for three kills. After a Nittany Lions timeout, Ursinus accumulated 15 straight points behind six Sherman aces and multiple kills from Smits, Cressman, and Robinson for a 25-10 set victory.

The Bears offense continued to have success in the second set as they jumped out to a commanding 13-5 lead. Erin Dychdala led the way for Ursinus over a 7-0 run as she dished out five assists leading to a Nittany Lions timeout. The timeout from Penn State Brandywine didn't slow down the Bears as they responded with six straight points stretching the score to 19-5. Both teams traded points before Ursinus closed out the match as Bernard earned a service ace and Vinovrski collected a kill on a pass from Bernard.

The opening minutes of the third set saw the Bears continue their dominance jumping out to a 10-2 lead. Ursinus closed out the final set on a 6-1 run, led by Cressman and Evangeline Nesslage combining for five kills.

Ursinus will return to action on Tuesday, September 13^th as they travel to Immaculata for a non-conference matchup starting at 6:30pm.