WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Sept. 16) – The Waynesburg University volleyball team welcomed Carlow to the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Saturday for a non-Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) match. The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but had to fend off a determined Celtic squad to pull out a 3-2 victory.
 
Waynesburg (5-4) got off to a bit of a slow start and found itself in a 19-10 hole in set number one. The Jackets rebounded by scoring six of the next seven to pull to within four points at 20-16. After the two non-conference opponents split the next eight points, Carlow (5-3) had a chance to win the opening set at 24-20.
 
The Orange and Black didn't quit, however, and took advantage of three-straight Celtic errors to pull to within a point of tying the score (24-23). A kill by freshman Kristina Zadrozny (McDonald, Pa. / West Allegheny) tied the score and moved the set into extra points. An ace by junior Emma Hyatt (Carmichaels, Pa. / Carmichaels) and one final Carlow error allowed the host squad to take a 1-0 match advantage.
 
Another big Jacket run played a major role in set two, as a 9-0 spurt turned a 6-2 deficit into an 11-6 advantage. Waynesburg never trailed for the remainder of the game, as it held on for a 25-23 triumph to go up 2-0.
 
Carlow wasn't ready to give up the fight, however, as it led for the entirety of a 25-23 victory in set three. Set four turned into a marathon, despite Waynesburg opening it on a 10-4 run. The host team maintained its lead until three-straight Celtic points put the road team ahead 22-21. The Yellow Jackets rebounded to force set point with a 24-23 edge, but they weren't able to put down match point. The Orange and Black forced another match point at 29-28, but Carlow tied the match at 2-2 thanks to three unanswered points.
 
After a heart-breaking end to set four, it wouldn't have been surprising to see Waynesburg come out flat in set five. Instead, the home team rattled off the first three points and five of the first six. The Jackets eventually led by as many as seven (13-6), before closing out their most recent win with a 15-8 triumph.
 
The Yellow Jackets were led to victory by sophomore Paige Mortimore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brentwood), who logged a double-double on a team-high 18 kills and 20 digs. Hyatt put down 14 successful attacks, while Zadrozny logged 10. Sophomore Riley Ruffley (Bedford, Pa. / Bedford) helped out the offense with a squad-best 33 assists.
 
Defensively, junior Jordan Stein (Manor, Pa. / Norwin) racked up a match-high 24 digs to go along with Mortimore's 20. Senior Mickayla Baniaga (Kalihi, Hawaii / Kamehameha Schools Kapalama) joined her teammates in double digits with 17 digs, while Ruffley finished a double-double of her own with 10 digs.
 
Waynesburg will look to carry the momentum from Saturday's win into PAC play, which opens with a road match at Washington & Jefferson on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Start time is scheduled for 7 p.m.