WAYNESBURG, Pa. (September 12) – The Waynesburg University volleyball team knocked off the defending Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) champion Bethany in four sets in the Jackets' home opener in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Thursday.

All three of Waynesburg's victorious sets were won by two points as the Jackets prevailed 25-23, 27-25, 21-25 and 27-25. The win was the first for first-year head coach Hope Johnston and the program's first victory over Bethany since 2008, snapping a 29-game Bison win streak in the series.

Waynesburg rises to 1-5 on the year while Bethany falls to 4-6.

The Jackets overcame an 18-10 deficit in the game's opening set as Waynesburg used a 12-2 run to take a 22-20 lead. Krista Wilson (Greensboro, Pa. / Mapletown) had a pair of aces in a four-point run that tied the set and took the lead. Paige Mortimore (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Brentwood) notched back-to-back kills to get to a set point and Madi Dayton (Ridgeley, W. Va. / Calvary Christian)  finished the frame with a kill.

Bethany scored the first six points of the second set, but the Jackets came roaring back to knot the score at 11. Waynesburg scored six-straight points, including two aces, with Jordan Stein (Manor, Pa. / Norwin) at the service line as the Jacket lead swelled to 20-13. Bethany fought off three set points late in the set, but Dayton slammed the door again to lift Waynesburg to a 27-25 set two win.

The Jackets were on the brink of sweeping the defending conference champs, leading 21-15 late in the third set, but the Bison battled back and notched the final 10 points of the frame to force a fourth set.

Bethany started the fourth set with a 6-2 run ahead of a 7-1 Waynesburg response. The Jackets led 20-16 before a 7-1 spurt put the visitors up 23-21, threatening to force a decisive fifth set. Waynesburg survived a pair of set points by Bethany and scored the final three points to take the match as Kristina Zadrozny (McDonald, Pa. / West Allegheny) put down a pair of late kills to secure the match

The Jackets set season-highs with 53 kills, 44 assists, a .154 hitting percentage, a dozen service aces, 75 digs and 70 points. 

Zadrozny, Dayton and Mortimore all finished with double-digit kills. Zadrozny notched 13 kills at a .162 clip while Dayton added a dozen kills at a .231 percentage with 11 digs and three total blocks. Mortimore added 11 kills. Carissa Krall (Johnstown, Pa. / Westmont Hilltop) and Wilson each chipped in with seven kills and Wilson added seven digs and five aces.

Riley Ruffley (Bedford, Pa. / Bedford) recorded 21 assists, seven digs, three aces, and three kills. Paige Coulsey (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Chartiers Valley) collected 19 assists and eight digs. Stein finished with 29 digs in the four-set match. Ruffley, Cousely and Stein combined for seven aces in the match.

The Jackets head to Wooster on Saturday to compete in the Ginny Hunt Kilt Classic against Pitt-Greensburg and Wooster.