EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette volleyball team dropped its season opener to Holy Cross on Friday night in Kirby Sports Center, three sets to one.
 
Junior Grace Tulevech led the way for the Leopards with 13 kills and 36 total attacks. Junior Leanna Deegan was right behind her with 10 kills and 29 total attacks.
 
Freshmen Gracie Gibson, Alyssa Vitale and Katie Weston all made their collegiate debut on Friday night. Gibson totaled seven kills and 14 attacks, Vital totaled 11 total attacks and six digs and Weston totaled 13 digs in their collegiate debuts.
 
The Leopards (0-1 PL) came out strong in the first set, taking an early 2-0 lead off back-to-back kills by Tulevech and Deegan and pushed it out to 15-9 as the first media timeout was called. Lafayette continued to hold onto a strong lead all the way through to take the first set victory, 25-18.
 
After being down for most of the start of the second set, Holy Cross (1-0) came back to tie up the set at 12 each. The set would be tied three more times before a kill by Deegan, off an assist from senior Jenna Bailey to tie the set up at 14 each. From there the two sides would once again go back-and-forth until a four-point rally gave the Crusaders the 24-23 lead.
 
The Crusaders made an attack error to tie the game up at 24 each before back-to-back kills by the Crusaders gave them the 26-24 set two victory.
 
Even though the Leopards came out strong in the third set, it was the Crusaders who eventually jumped out to a 7-4 lead and held on to that lead to take the third set, 25-15.
 
The fourth and final set of the night saw the Leopards jumping out to an early 1-0 lead off a kill by Gibson but it was the Crusaders who took the eventual lead, going up 18-16.
 
The Leopards then went on a five-point scoring rally to take a 21-18 lead, seeming as if they would force a five set in their season opening match. But the Crusaders came back to eventually tie-up the set at 22 each.
 
From there back-to-back kills by Tulevech and Deegan gave the Leopards a 24-22 lead but it would be Holy Cross that would close out the fourth set, with four-straight points to take the 26-24 set victory, winning the Friday night matchup.
 
The Leopards are back in action Sunday, February 28 as they are set to travel to Worcester to take on Holy Cross.