ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Elizabethtown College volleyball team won its opening set over Susquehanna 25-23, but the Crusaders answered back by taking the next three sets in Landmark play Saturday. The Blue Jays then pushed the nation's top-ranked team, Juniata, in the nightcap before falling 3-0.

The Blue Jays (10-7, 0-3 Landmark) trailed by as many as six points in the first set, going down 16-10 following a 3-0 run from SU that included kills from Corinne Eidle and Leana Carvin, and a block from Mallory Yeingst.

Juliana Mowen and the rest of the Jays stormed back immediately, Mowen providing three kills, Shannon Deck an ace and Steph High an ace. Elizabethtown's 7-1 run evened the set at 17.

E-town got hot at the right time again, scoring four of the last five points on kills by Mackenzie Garner and Mowen and an ace off the serve of Megan McNaul to go up 1-0.

Victoria Leidy gave her team an early spark with four kills and a .667 hitting percentage on six attempts, joining Garner and Mowen as the Jays' top offensive players in the set. Garner and Mowen each hit .300 or higher. Steph High had 14 of her 39 assists, while Deck and Mowen had seven digs apiece.

Susquehanna (11-6, 1-1 Landmark) was much better in the second set, tying the match at a set after a 25-17 victory in which it hit .400 (17 kills-5 errors-30 attempts).

Erin Byrne's six kills were tops, while setter Maggie O'Hearn pitched in 14 assista and three kills. E-town, meanwhile, was limited to five kills on 22 offensive tries.

The third and fourth sets were up for grabs, but SU, picked second in the Landmark Preseason Poll, won both by a combined five points.

A late push in the third that saw freshmen Garner and Janae Moran use kills to pull E-town within 24-23 came up just short when Byrne won the set with a kill for the visitors.

Seven straight points from the Jays early in the fourth had them ahead 8-4 before six consecutive Crusader points put SU back in front 12-10. Elizabethtown's chances of sending the match to a fifth set trended upwards when Moran's kill tied the fourth at 21 and Morgan Reiss' ace gave it the lead. Susquehanna came up with three kills in crunch time though, ending the set on a 4-0 run to win it 25-22 and take the match.

Garner's 13 kills led E-town, while Moran had eight. Leidy and Mowen totaled six each. High collected a double-double with 39 assists and 11 digs. Megan McNaul had a match-high four aces and 11 digs, and Shannon Deck totaled 18 digs.

Against unbeaten No. 1 Juniata, the Blue and Gray amassed double-digit kills in sets two and three, but could not steal a set from the team that has won every Landmark title since the league's inception in 2007.

The Eagles (15-0, 3-0 Landmark) looked as if they may run away with the match, dominating the first set en route to a 25-9 decision.

Things changed for the better in the second, however. Seven different players registered kills, including two each by Sarah Schneider, Reiss and Mowen. Elizabethtown forced a Juniata timeout midway through the set when it was in the midst of a 6-0 run that saw it go ahead 17-12 after a McNaul kill.

Leading 20-16, the Blue Jays were unable to find the push to the finish they needed. Juniata scored eight straight points behind three kills from Nakita Gearhart, two from Brittanie Tannenbaum and three Katie Byrne aces to seize control and win the set 25-21.

E-town would go to extra points with the Eagles in the third, tying the match at 21, 22, 23 and 24, before the visitors broke free with two in a row to win 26-24.

Schneider put up the best offensive numbers of her young career with a team-high seven kills, while Garner chipped in five and Mowen four. Garner also had four blocks and McNaul 10 digs. Kristin Halliday contributed 10 assists, a kill and was in on four block assists.

Before next Saturday's second Landmark Conference Weekend –this one at Scranton– the Blue Jays will hit the road for a non-conference match at Gettysburg Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Each of the Jays' next two home matches, Thursday, Oct. 8, against Stevenson, and Monday, Oct. 12, versus Neumann, will be played at Mount Calvary Christian School in Elizabethtown.