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RADNOR, Pa. – The Cabrini volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit, but could not put the finishing touches on the comeback in a marathon 3-2 loss against Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) rival Neumann University on Tuesday night at Nerney Field House. The setback snaps the Cavaliers' 23-match conference win streak dating back to the 2009 season.
Senior middle hitter Stephanie Recklau, playing in her final regular season home match with the Blue & White, powered the Cabrini offense with a club-best 15 kills on 38 attempts. Recklau, honored prior to the first set as the team's lone senior, is now just 13 kills shy of the 1,000th of her Cavaliers' career.
Junior outside hitter Alexis Doss complemented Recklau on the offensive end, tallying 14 kills. Freshman middle hitter Michele Fitz added 10 kills.
Freshman setter Alaina Clark notched her 11th double-double of the season, recording 47 assists and 14 digs. Freshman outside hitter Sophia Sokolovich, playing against her older sister, Rachael - an assistant coach with the Neumann volleyball team - paired 25 digs with 12 kills for seventh double-double this year.
Junior libero Courtney Abel contributed 18 digs, while freshman defensive specialist Kristy Riley chipped in with 16. Fitz anchored the Cavaliers at the net, posting four total blocks.
The Knights pinned Cabrini's back to the wall with 29-27 win in game one and a 25-22 victory in game two. Freshman outside hitter Katelin Kuklentz ignited the Neumann attack in the opening set, burying a team-high seven kills.
Yet, the Cavaliers rallied and forced a decisive fifth frame with a convincing 25-18 win in the third game and a 25-23 triumph in the fourth stanza.
Sokolovich sparked the Blue & White in the third game, tallying five kills on only nine tries. Recklau and Doss each notched five kills on a combined 15 attempts in the fourth set.
However, Neumann jumped out to a 9-5 advantage in the game five and never looked back. Sophomore right-side Cait Cantwell clinched the win for the Knights with consecutive kills.
Junior middle hitter Natalie George led the Neumann offense with 18 kills. Junior setter Cecily Scavicchio handed out 51 assists.
The loss is the Cavaliers' first against a CSAC opponent in nearly two years. Cabrini's last setback versus a league foe came against Neumann on Nov. 8, 2008 in the conference final.
Despite the loss, the Cavaliers remain the No. 1 seed for the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and will host throughout the playoffs at Nerney Field House.
Cabrini (20-6, 10-1) concludes its regular season non-conference schedule on Saturday, Oct. 30 as part of a tri-match at Haverford College with McDaniel College. The Cavaliers open against the Green Terror at 2:30 p.m. before playing the host Fords at 4 p.m.
