Box Score Juniata box l Lebanon Valley box l Tournament page
CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Nazareth opened its women's volleyball season by dropping a pair of matches at the Red Dragon Classic, hosted by SUNY Cortland. The Golden Flyers were defeated by No. 14 Juniata in three sets 25-19, 25-23, 25-13 in their opening match. Nazareth then faltered in four sets against Lebanon Valley (25-16, 25-12, 22-25, 25-22). Seniors Kassandra Buseck and Maria Allocco each had five kills while classmate Olivia Harrigan added four kills against Juniata.

Juniata's stingy defense allowed only a total of 17 kills by the Golden Flyers. In addition to the kills from Nazareth's top three performers, sophomore Cady Messmer and junior Jennifer Hicks added two kills and one kill, respectively. The Golden Flyers were forced into 22 hitting errors. Messmer and classmate Madi Wickens each contributed two service aces, and Buseck and Allocco each tallied another. Wickens also had a team-high eight assists.

Defensively, sophomore Maureen Thayer recorded a team-high 10 digs while Wickens and Buseck each tallied nine digs apiece. Hicks was a presence at the net as she had a solo block and four assisted blocks. Allocco also had a solo block, and Harrigan had two assisted blocks while Buseck had one assisted block.

Harrigan had nine kills against Lebanon Valley, Buseck added eight and Allocco six. Sophomore Maureen Thayer had three assists and 14 digs.

The Golden Flyers play two more matches Saturday -- at 11 a.m. against Richard Stockton and at 4 p.m. against Hiram.