Aug. 30, 2010
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
EASTON, Pa. - Despite several improbable comebacks, including a five-point surge to claim set one, the Lafayette volleyball team fell in its season opener against St. Francis (N.Y.) by a score of 3-1. The hotly-contested match at Kirby Sports Center saw the four sets decided by a total of just 12 points. Senior co-captain Kayly Elmer shared the match-high of 19 kills to pace the Leopards' offense and added 14 digs to tally a double-double. Junior libero Christy Mebust fortified the back row with a team-high 15 digs, while sophomore setter Sarah Frohnapfel ran the Lafayette offense to the tune of 39 assists. Anisa Lila had 19 kills and 13 digs to lead St. Francis to victory by set scores of 22-25, 25-21, 25-23 and 25-19.
Lafayette falls to 0-1 with the season-opening loss. The Terriers, who opened their campaign last weekend, improve to 3-2 with the victory.
Alana Taylor, Katrina Racibarskas and Alexandra Russo each notched eight kills and Karissa Ciliento registered seven in her collegiate debut. Frohnapfel had two finishers in addition to her 39 assists, and Mebust rounded out the attack with one kill. Freshman Mackenzie Larsen stepped right into the rotation and notched 11 digs.
The Terriers started out strong in set one, grabbing the first five points of the match. The lead grew as large as six, but Lafayette continued to tally points and chip away. The Leopards never put together a run of larger than three points but soon found themselves trailing by just two at 18-16. The two-point deficit held until 22-20, but that 22nd point was the last that St. Francis would record. Paced by strong serves by Racibarskas, Lafayette won the next five rallies to take the set, capping the 25-22 win with an ace by their senior co-captain.
Set two was just as tightly contested, with the score rising rapidly to a 16-16 deadlock. St. Francis would notch the next four points, however, and the four-point cushion held all the way to a 25-21 win to even the match at 1-1.
The all-important third set as the two squads remained within five points of each other and soon landed at 23-23. At that point, one of Gina Giles' seven kills and an ace by Christina Perez gave the set to the Terriers.
Set four looked to be over, with St. Francis holding a commanding 20-11 edge. But the Leopards, led by two kills and block from Taylor, soon climbed back to within two points at 20-18. However, the deficit ultimately proved to be too large to overcome as Lila's 19th and final kill gave the Terriers a 3-1 win.
The Leopards return to the court on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest in our nation's capital against Howard. Action returns to Easton this weekend as Princeton, Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Peter's visit College Hill for the Lafayette College Tournament on Sept. 3-4.
