Volleyball Sweeps Pool Play, Advances to Final Four

Game Information

Score: Penn State Mont Alto 3, The King's College 0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-19)

Team Records: Penn State Mont Alto (21-6, 11-2), The King's College (11-7, 1-2)

When: Friday, November 12, 2021, 11 a.m. 

Where: Virginia Beach Field House

What: 2021 USCAA Women's Volleyball Championships

How It Happened

-Penn State Mont Alto clinched first place in Pool B and will take on Penn State DuBois of Pool A at 4 p.m. today. Back-to-back kills from Gracie Vaughn set up from Kylie Denlinger dug Mont Alto out of an early 9-7 hole in set one. Consecutive attack errors by King's Bella Rush put Mont Alto up 13-10. McKenna Dare got in on the scoring action with two key kills late in the first set. Gracie Vaughn clinched the first set win on an assist from Kylie Denlinger. Mont Alto took the first set 25-18. 

-Mont Alto faced an early 6-3 deficit in set two behind a few unforced hitting mistakes. They rallied back on kills from Kylie Denlinger and Caroline Blickley to knot the set up at 6-6. The lead was pushed up to 11-9 on three consecutive service aces by Katie Sinks. The King's College held tough with Mont Alto, tying the set at 20-20 late. Back-to-back attack errors from King's, followed by a Kylee Gooding service ace gave Mont Alto the following three points. McKenna Dare finished off the set on an assist from Kylie Denlinger. Mont Alto took the second set 25-21.

-Mont Alto seized early control in set three and never looked back. Aces by Kylie Denlinger and Rachel Manikowski highlighted the early part of the set, and Caroline Blickley added two kills to push the Mont Alto lead to 7-2. The Mont Alto lead grew to as much as ten points, with Mont Alto up 16-6. Head coach Randy Hood called a timeout following a King's College run to cut the lead to 21-16 late in the set. Kills by Caroline Blickley, Gracie Vaughn, and Kylie Denlinger paced Mont Alto to a sweep of King's College, winning the final set 25-19.

Game Notes

-The win over The King's College sets Mont Alto up against the Penn State DuBois of Pool A at 4 p.m. today. 

-Mont Alto is now one win away from the USCAA National Championship game.

-Mont Alto has won 10 of its last 11 contests. Their only loss during that stretch came in the PSUAC Semifinals against Penn State Schuylkill. 

The Leaders

Penn State Mont Alto

Gracie Vaughn: 11 kills on 27 attempts, 2 solo blocks

Caroline Blickley: 7 kills on 19 attempts, 1 solo and 1 assisted block

Rachel Manikowski: 16 digs, 4 assists

Kylie Denlinger: 20 assists, 6 digs

The King's College

Alex Kemsley: 10 kills on 24 attempts, 3 solo blocks

Bella Rush: 8 kills on 37 attempts, 14 digs

Samantha Klozik: 7 kills on 30 attempts, 11 digs

Up Next

USCAA National Semifinal Contest against Pool A Runner-Up Penn State DuBois at 4 p.m. Friday.

Livestreaming: https://www.uscaasportsnetwork.com/