Garnet Spikers Open Season
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Swarthmore volleyball team opened up its defense of the Greyhound Premiere Invitational on Friday afternoon, defeating DeSales 3-0 (30-21, 31-29, 30-25) in pool play on Friday afternoon at Moravian College.
Swarthmore fell to Eastern, ranked number two in the Mid-Atlantic region at the end of last season, 3-0 in their second pool play match. The Eagles downed the Garnet by scores of 30-19, 30-14, 30-19.
The Garnet (1-1), winners of the 2005 Premiere Invitational, got a team-high 13 kills from sophomore outside hitter Jen Wang ( Palo Alto, CA / Henry Gunn) and 17 digs from senior captain Erica George (Phoenix, AZ / Mountain Pointe) in the DeSales match. Junior middle blocker Karen Berk (Havertown, PA / Haverford) led the team with seven blocks while freshman setter Kearney Bangs (Kingston, WA / North Kitsap) directed the offense with 25 assists.
In the Eastern match, Berk, Wang, and opposite hitter Vanessa Wells (Chicago, IL / Lincoln Park) registered six kills apiece while Bangs produced 17 assists. Sophomore libero Erin Heaney (Buffalo, NY / City Honors) led the Swarthmore defense with nine digs.
The Garnet enter the playoff portion of the Premier Invitational on Saturday morning, with their first match scheduled for 11:00 a.m.