Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's volleyball team dropped its two matches on Friday to open the Bucknell Invitational. In the first match, the Knights fell to Canisius, 3-0, before losing in a five-set thriller to Bucknell, 3-2, at Davis Gym. With the two defeats, FDU falls to 0-11 on the season.

Against Canisius, the Knights were beaten in the first two sets, 25-14 and 25-16, before showing life in the third set and bowing out, 25-23.
Sophomore Allison Butler (Plano, Texas/Plano) led the way with a double-double, as she led FDU with 27 assists on offense while chipping in 10 digs on the defensive side of the net.

Junior Deborah Hong (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) led the defensive effort with 19 digs, and senior Violeta Slabakova (Shelby Township, Mich./Utica) and sophomore Maddie Gibbons (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview Heights) recorded nine and eight kills, respectively, on offense.

In the one hour and 46 minute match against the Bison, the Knights dropped the first set, 25-15, before rebounding with 25-23 and 25-17 victories in the next two sets to take a 2-1 lead and double their win total in sets for the season. However, the home team bounced back in the fourth set to win, 25-16, and ultimately the final set, 15-10.

Freshman Courtney Kovensky (Highland, Calif./Citrus Valley) led three FDU players with double-digit kills, as she smashed 16. She just missed recording a double-double with nine digs on defense. Slabakova and freshman Caroline Laton (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon) each added 10 kills.

Butler distributed 43 more assists, and Hong added 18 more digs to lead the Knights. Senior Taylor Roland-Buohl (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) put together a good all-around match with eight digs, five service aces and five kills.

FDU will conclude the tournament on Saturday with a 3 p.m. match against Rider, who defeated the Knights on Sept. 4 in Stratis Arena, 3-0.