PHILADELPHIA – The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's volleyball team opened the 2013 season with two tough three-set losses at the La Salle Invitational on Saturday, Aug. 31 in Philadelphia, Pa.  The Knights fell to La Salle in the morning match before dropping a game to Bucknell Saturday afternoon. 

On the day info

After trading points to begin the first set, the Knights took a 6-2 lead with strong blocking by Maddie Gibbons (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview Heights) and Caroline Laton (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon).  The Explorers fought back to tie set one at 10 and battled with the Knights through the remainder of the set, with neither team holding more than a two-point lead.  La Salle took control of the game by scoring seven of the next nine points to take the win, 25-20.

In set two, La Salle took a 12-5 lead before a series of errors and a kill by Hanifa Addi (Springdale, Md./Charles H. Flowers) helped the Knights come back to bring the score to 13-8.  Three-consecutive kills helped La Salle regain momentum in the set.  The Explorers maintained that momentum and took set two, 25-19.

Once again, the teams battled for points early to begin set three.  With the score at 12-11 in favor of FDU, the Knights rallied for four-straight points to take a 16-11 lead.

With a 21-18 lead, the Knights allowed La Salle to score seven of the final eight points of the match to take an ultimate 25-22 win and a 3-0 match victory.

Senior Violate Slabakova led FDU with eight kills in the first match of the season.  Allison Butler (Plano, Texas/Plano) helped facilitate the FDU offense with 17 assists, while Deborah Hong (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) and Slabakova paced the defense with 14 and 13 digs, respectively.  

Bucknell took told of set one in the afternoon session quickly.  The Bison used a six-point rally to take a 15-6 lead and never relinquished the momentum.  FDU fell in set one by a score of 25-11.

Set two was even, with neither team taking more than a two-point lead early on.  The Bison went ahead 17-14 and scored the next three points to take a 20-15 lead on a kill by Erika Eastly. 

The Knights fought back within two points on points scored by senior Taylor Roland-Bouhl but a service error gave Bucknell the set point to take the win, 25-22.

Bucknell took the match in set three after beginning the set with a 9-5 lead.  The Bison held the advantage through the set and used a series of rallies to take the win, 25-20.

Slabakova led the Knights again in match two with eight, while Gibbons added six for FDU.  Butler increased the Knights' offensive attack with 20 assists in the three-set game.  Butler also led the Knights defensively with seven digs in the match.  Corey Lostetter (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) added six digs for the burgundy and blue.

The Knights conclude the La Salle Invitational with games against Lafayette and Sacramento State on Sunday, Sept. 1.