ST. DAVID'S, Pa.-- The Elizabethtown women's volleyball team split on the final day of the Eastern Invitational, Saturday. The Blue Jays fell, 3-0 against Eastern before defeating Gallaudet, 3-1 as senior, Gianna Krinock tallied a career-high 21 kills. 

Elizabethtown opened up the first set strong against Eastern, the reigning MAC Commonwealth champion. The two teams traded points throughout the entire first set until Eastern was able to run away with a 25-20 win. To start off the set the Blue Jays and Eagles traded kills as Gracie Britten put one down to take the 3-2 lead. Eastern took the next three points, retaking the lead at 6-3. Etown took over from there to halt the Eagles momentum following blocks from Kara Davies and Britten and also a kill from Britten. The Blue Jays kept things close putting down three consecutive kills as they took a 14-13 lead. Set one was tight until 19-20 when Eastern was able to pull away with a 25-20 win.

Set two started off like the first with the two teams going back and forth. Etown took a three-point lead after two service aces from Kambrie Hepler. The set was tight at 9-10 after a kill from Krinock. The Eagles would then embark on a run to take a 17-12 lead. Following an Etown timeout, the Blue Jays found a way to climb back going on a 4-1 run. With the Blue Jays trailing by two, Eastern then took a timeout. The Eagles then went on a surge of four consecutive points after three kills. Elizabethtown was able to squeeze in two more points, but the Eagles lead was too much to overcome. Eastern took set two, 25-18.

Elizabethtown was slow to start the final set with Eastern leading, 6-1 after a Blue Jays attack error. Four Eastern errors brought Etown within two at 6-8. The Blue Jays kept gaining momentum back as Georgianna Kahley tied up the set at 14 all. Eastern began to pull away again and Elizabethtown was able to get one final point after a block before the Eagles won the final set, 25-19.
Elizabethtown tied a season high ten total blocks. The Blue Jays tallied a season low 29 kills and 26 assists. Bryanna Miller and Katie Scaggs paced Etown with seven kills while Krinock added five.  Scaggs and Britten each recorded five blocks while Hepler led the team with 16 digs.

Against Gallaudet in set one, Elizabethtown jumped to a 6-3 lead after two Bison service errors. The Blue Jays began to struggle with five attack errors to give Gallaudet the 10-6 lead. After an Etown timeout, then Krinock smacked down two kills to trail the Bison, 14-10. The Jays kept clawing their way back as the two teams traded points to finish off the set with Elizabethtown out in front, 25-23.

To start the second set, Elizabethtown came out to a roaring start taking a 7-3 lead after a service ace from Jena Minnick. Etown kept it rolling as Scaggs put away three consecutive kills. With a strong Blue Jay attack in the second set, Gallaudet couldn't catch up ultimately falling, 25-14.

The third set started off differently as Gallaudet took the first four points following a service ace. Etown continued to struggle after an attack error they trailed, 9-3. Elizabethtown began to come back as the Blue Jays trailed by three following two kills. Etown was able to come within two but couldn't hold on as Gallaudet took set three, 25-23.

Gallaudet jumped ahead, 8-3 in the fourth set after two Elizabethtown attack errors. Etown began to push forward trailing by one as Davies added a kill. Elizabethtown regrouped after a timeout as they took the next three points. Krinock put down two kills as the team trailed, 18-17.  With an evenly matched attack, Etown was able to take the 26-24 win after Miller recorded the final two kills.

Krinock registered a career-high 21 kills besting 13 kills from last season. Krinock held a .326 hitting percentage and also added 15 digs. Miller totaled 13 kills, two block assists and nine digs. Emma Bitner tallied 20 assists, four digs, and a service ace.

The Blue Jays begin a long home stand next week as they host Dickinson, Tuesday September 13^th at 7 PM.