Box Score

EASTON, Pa. -- For the fifth time in 10 home matches this season, Lafayette was forced to a winner-take-all fifth set. For the first time, however, the Leopards did not come away with the victory, as visiting Bucknell held off the home team for a 3-2 win.

Set scores were 25-16, 21-25, 25-20, 27-29, 15-7. Lafayette (10-5, 2-2 PL) was led by a career-high 23 kills from Brianne Giangiobbe, the most kills for any Leopard since Kayly Elmer '11 matched that total on Sept. 13, 2008. Karen Campbell had 17 kills for the Bison (8-7, 2-3 PL), and she managed six kills and a block in the decisive fifth set.

"This is a tough one," head coach Terri Dadio Campbell said. "I think we came in with a really smart game plan, and we were able to neutralize one of their top players for the first four sets. Karen Campbell had an exceptional fifth set and that made the difference. Offensively, we struggled a bit in set five, and the set goes by too quickly to recover from that."

Both teams played high-quality volleyball throughout the afternoon, with Bucknell finishing with a .292 attack percentage while the Maroon and White had a .169 attack rate.

The Bison's attack percentage was .400 in the opening set, as the visitors jumped out to an 11-1 advantage and never looked back. Lafayette again found itself behind early in the second, dropping six of the first eight points, but a 6-1 run capped by a kill from Kelly Flynn gave the home team an 8-7 edge.

The score was 21-18, Bucknell, when a Maggie Evans kill allowed Jet Manzi to step to the service line. The junior outside hitter, who was ranked eighth in the nation in aces heading into the weekend, added to that total with one of her three aces on the day to reduce the Bison's lead to one, and the Leopards would go on to win six-straight points on her serve to level up the match at 1-1. Manzi is up to 32 aces this fall, and she also contributed eight kills and a season-high 18 digs this afternoon.

No team led by more than two through the first 30 points of set three. With the score tied at 15-15, though, Bucknell won four points in a row to move in front. The Leopards reduced that margin down to 19-18, but the Bison controlled the remainder of the set and took a 2-1 lead overall.

Eight of Giangiobbe's 23 kills came in the fourth set, and Lafayette appeared to be heading to a comfortable win up 24-19, but Bucknell rallied with five unanswered points to extend the frame. After saving off two set points, the Bison grabbed a 27-26 lead after a Leopard attack error. Manzi fired in a kill to save the match point, and an ace from Lauren Pisauro and a kill from Katherine Stevens ensured that the match would go the distance.

Four of Campbell's fifth-set kills came in succession, and she combined with Meghan Wentzel on a block to open up an 8-2 advantage for Bucknell which proved to be too much to overcome.

Several Lafayette players ended the contest with impressive stat lines. Stevens and Elizabeth Walsh each notched 11 kills, and Flynn added seven. Pisauro once again led the defense with 23 digs, while Sarah Moult added 18, Maria Balus had 14 and Tori Smith finished with 10.

Giangiobbe's strong offensive performance came with a team-high .259 attack percentage, and she also chipped in three blocks. The senior Bethlehem, Pa., native is up to 190 kills for the season.

"Bri has really matured in her time here," Dadio Campbell said. "She's obviously a great jumper and a really smart all-around player, but her ability now to find those finesse shots in addition to the power plays is really making her successful for us this year."

The Leopards will hit the road for their next two contests, beginning with a 7 p.m. matchup at Army next Friday night.