Oct. 6, 2013

(6-9, 0-6 PL) 1 2 3 4 F Bucknell 25 24 18 18 1 Lafayette 21 26 25 25 3 Post-Game Interview & Highlights | Box Score (9-7, 1-4 PL)

	Kill Leaders Player Kills Bucknell - Campbell 10 Lafayette - Ciliento 14 Dig Leaders Player Digs Bucknell -Price 30 Lafayette - Pisauro 40

Easton, Pa. - Karissa Ciliento and Jet Manzi each recorded double-doubles to help the Leopards win their first Patriot League match of the season. Ciliento had a team-high 14 kills and added 15 digs, while Manzi hit for 12 kills and 14 digs. Lafayette improved to 9-7, 1-4 in the Patriot League and Bucknell dropped to 6-9, 0-6 in league play.

Lafayette jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first game on a pair of kills from Brianne Giangiobbe. Bucknell came storming back winning six of the next seven to take its first lead of the afternoon, 7-6. The Leopards regained the lead, 10-7, with four straight points on two kills from Manzi and a kill apiece from Ciliento and Danielle Towslee.

The Bison would take the next seven points highlighted by a pair of aces from Keane Brazda to give Bucknell a 14-12 lead. Trailing 20-15, the Leopards got a kill from Towslee and a block from Samantha Volk and Towslee to cut the lead to, 20-17. That would be as close as Lafayette would get in game one, as the Bison won, 25-21.

Game two saw both squads battle back and forth for the first half of the set. With the score tied, 13-13, the Leopards went on a 6-2 run highlighted by kills from Giangiobbe, Ciliento and Volk. Bucknell would not go away, as the Bison came right back to take the lead with a 6-0 run and held a 21-20 advantage. The teams exchanged points until a kill from Ciliento and a block from Towslee won the game for the Leopards, 26-24.

Bucknell built a 14-9 lead in the third set, forcing Lafayette to use a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Leopards came storming back with five straight kills, a pair from Katy Rooney and Ciliento, to take a 15-14 lead. The Maroon and White finished the set on a 10-4 run with Manzi smashing two kills, Giangiobbe and Ciliento hitting one apiece, and a solo block from Towlsee.

In the fourth set, the Leopards ran out to an early 4-1 lead courtesy of kills from Manzi and Rooney, and a block from Giangiobbe and Rooney. Once again, the Bison would not go away, as they won four of the next five to tie the set at five. A 7-2 run pushed the Leopards ahead, 12-7, with Towslee, Volk and Manzi all tallying kills.

With Lafayette leading, 16-12, back-to-back kills from Towslee and Ciliento forced the Bison to burn a timeout. Bucknell narrowed the gap to four at 20-16, but the Leopards closed the match on a 5-2 run highlighted by a pair of kills from Manzi, an ace from Volk, and a kill from Rooney to finish it off.

Ciliento (14), Manzi (12), Towslee (10) and Giangiobbe (10) all finished with double digit kills, while five Leopards finished with double digit digs, highlighted by Lauren Pisauro's team high 40. Rooney finished a team best six blocks, and Volk handed out 46 assists on the afternoon.

The Leopards hit the road next weekend, as they visit Army on October 11, and take on Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. on October 12. Lafayette returns home on October 18 to face rival Lehigh at 7 p.m. inside Kirby Sports Center.