LATROBE, Pa. (Sept. 23) – Behind a record-setting performance from Meegan Williams, the Saint Vincent women's volleyball team defeated Bethany College, 3-1, in its Presidents' Athletic Conference opener on Wednesday evening inside the Robert S. Carey Center.
The Bearcats (3-7, 1-0 PAC) earned the victory by set scores of 25-19, 25-16, 22-25 and 25-20 over the Bison (3-9, 0-1 PAC).
Williams turned in a historic performance for Saint Vincent, recording a career-high 28 kills to set a new single-match program record. The 28 kills surpassed the previous record of 27, which was shared by Diana Petrovich, Renee McCracken and Melanie Pachuta and was a record that held for nearly 34 years.
Along with her record-setting kill total, Williams hit .404 for the match, committing just five errors on 57 attempts. She also recorded a team-high 15 digs to finish with a double-double.
Aubrey Siwula joined Williams in double figures with 17 kills while hitting .262, while Elliot Hardy added six kills. Madie Eagler paced the Bearcats with 21 assists, while Preslee Horchak added 18 and Brenna McCracken totaled five.
Defensively, McCracken finished with 13 digs, while Hardy and Maria Piraino each added 12. Sabrina George led the Bearcats at the net with three blocks. McCracken and Piraino each recorded two service aces.
As a team, Saint Vincent totaled 56 kills, 50 assists, six service aces and 70 digs while hitting .223. The Bearcats held Bethany to 35 kills and a .110 hitting percentage.
Saint Vincent opened the night by taking the first two sets, hitting .217 with 16 kills in the opening set before recording another 16 kills and a .361 hitting percentage in the second. Bethany responded with a 25-22 win in the third, but the Bearcats closed out the match with 15 kills and a .257 hitting percentage in the fourth to secure the conference-opening victory.
The Bearcats will return to PAC action on Saturday, September 26, traveling to Beaver Falls to take on Geneva College. The match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
