YORK, Pa. -- Mackenzie Garner led the Elizabethtown College women's volleyball team with 11 kills in both Saturday matches at the York College Spartan Invitational, while also contributing eight blocks.
 
The Blue Jays dropped a 3-1 decision against the host Spartans, but finished the weekend with a 2-2 record after sweeping Gallaudet 3-0 to split for a second straight day.
 
YORK (PA.) 3, ELIZABETHTOWN 1
21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-19
 
Freshman Shelly Yohe and the Blue Jays got off to a stellar start against host York on Saturday morning. Yohe led all players with four kills in the opening set, with Mackenzie Garner, Sarah Schneider and Elle Shatto collecting two each. The Blue Jays won the first set 25-21 behind a .211 hitting percentage with 12 kills and four errors on 38 attempts.
 
Unfortunately, E-town wasn't able to mirror that success over the next three sets. York (3-2) racked up 15 kills in the second and third sets while hitting .225 and .333, respectively. Victories by 25-19 and 25-20 counts put the Spartans in the driver's seat.
 
Schneider had a pair of kills as the Blue Jays (1-6) used a 6-1 run to tie the fourth set at 11 in hopes of extending the match. Two Gabby Emeigh aces, a kill and three attacking errors from Elizabethtown quickly turned the tide, however, as York answered with six unanswered points to go back in front 17-11.
 
The Spartans led by no fewer than three points the rest of the way and closed the match (25-19) on the last of Brooke Krebs' 14 kills. Krebs and teammate Tyler Williams shared the match-high in kills. Alexis Harbold had 22 digs and Molly McCann recorded a double-double of 18 assists and 11 digs.
 
York out-killed the Jays by 11, 51-40, served up 13 aces and had a commanding advantage in digs, 72-50.
 
Garner was the only Blue Jay with double-figure kills, though Shatto had eight and Yohe seven. Rookie setter Rileigh Hudock secured her fifth double-double in seven matches with team-highs of 30 assists and 16 digs.
 
Hudock was one of three E-town players to post double-digit digs, along with Shatto and Aiyana Tietze-Di Toro, who both had 12. Garner and Shatto each had four block assists.
 
ELIZABETHTOWN 3, GALLAUDET 0
25-11, 25-21, 25-17
 
Elizabethtown has faced one of the toughest early-season schedules in the nation and the Blue Jays took their frustrations out on a Gallaudet side that took a set to find its footing.
 
Shelly Yohe once again served as the catalyst to get the Jays going, totaling four first set kills as the Jays went 14-3-31 for a .355 hitting percentage. E-town (2-6) wouldn't hit less than .250 in any set and actually finished with a .414 rate in the third on its way to a season-high .341 (41-11-88).
 
Garner and Gallaudet's Adele Daniels led their teams with 11 kills, while Sarah Schneider had eight and Marisa Krinock seven for the Blue and Gray. Elizabethtown's 41 kills were its most in a three-set match and second most in a match of any length this season.
 
E-town scored the first four points of the first set and quickly pulled away from there. Already holding a 12-6 advantage, the Blue Jays clicked off nine straight points to pull in front by an insurmountable 15-point margin on their way to a 25-11 set win.
 
Five of the eight Blue Jays to see the court in the opening set finished with multiple kills.
 
The Bison (2-6) were much more competitive in the second and the lead changed hands four times before Elle Shatto and Krinock worked kills around a pair of Gallaudet attacking errors to give Elizabethtown a 22-19 lead late.
 
Still not in the clear with a two-point lead, Alex Hinsey turned to Schneider (kill) and Krinock (ace) to wrap up the set 25-21.
 
Despite hitting over .400 in the third, Elizabethtown didn't run away with the set. Gallaudet led early and was within striking distance, 20-17, until a Rileigh Hudock ace, two Krinock kills and one kill by Yohe pushed the Blue Jays to a 5-0 set- and match-ending run.
 
Five Blue Jays hit .400 or better in the match. Krinock was the best of the bunch with seven kills and one error on eight attempts (.750). Garner attacked at a .556 rate (11-1-18), Schneider .500 (8-0-16), Hudock .500 (5-1-8) and Yohe .400 (5-1-10).
 
Schneider (four), Krinock (three) and Katie Kennedy (two) accounted for nine of the team's 10 service aces. Hudock assisted on 27 kills and Garner produced her second straight four-block match.
 
UP NEXT
Elizabethtown is on the road at Dickinson for a non-conference match Wednesday evening at 7, before hosting the Blue Jay Classic next Friday and Saturday.