The Shippensburg University volleyball team dropped their opening matchup against host Clarion, 3-0, and against Palm Beach Atlantic, 3-1, at the Tony Banner Memorial Volleyball Tournament held inside Tippin Gym.
 
Shippensburg compiled 64 kills over the course of the two games, with senior Jordan Bowen leading the team with 20 kills overall.
 
The Raiders will be back tomorrow against. Fayetteville State at 9 a.m. and later on against Northwood at 3 p.m.
 
Clarion 3, Shippensburg 0
 
Shippensburg (0-2) featured a starting lineup that included plenty of returners and a freshman and a transfer. The Raiders hit .025 with 17 kills.
 
Clarion (1-0), voted first in the west by Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) coaches in the preseason poll, served nine aces and slammed 47 kills to complement a .337 hitting percentage.
 
Senior Jordan Bowen led the Raiders with six kills and two blocks, while senior Rachel Verhoef had four kills and a block. Redshirt-sophomore Alex Leitner led the team in digs with nine, and sophomore Kat Negron had eight digs, three kills and an ace. Freshman Kearstin Davis had a team high of nine assists.
 
Palm Beach Atlantic 3, Shippensburg 1
 
Bowen led the Raiders with her first double-digit kill output as a Raider with 14, and sophomore Maddie Clabaugh had a career-high of 10 kills. Senior Kaitlyn Townsend tied her career high of five blocks, while Davis had a career-high 29 assists. Negron (13) and Leitner (12) led the Raiders in digs.
 
SU opened the first set with a 10-0 run, but PBA (2-0) fought back with an 8-1 run to reduce the deficit to 22-20. A kill from Verhoef and an attacking error from the Sailfish set up set point for the Raiders; Negron finished the set with a kill.
 
In the second set, PBA went on a 7-3 run and kept the lead throughout the whole set. SU tried to bounce back and tied the set at 21-21, but a service error and back-to-back kills gave the Sailfish set point. The Raiders saved two set points but were unable to stop the last kill.
 
The Raiders took an early lead midway through the third set but were unable to maintain the lead and allowed the Sailfish to come back and go on an 11-point run to win the set. PBA was on the attack in the fourth set and took an 11-4 lead. SU fought back and trailed 19-15. The Sailfish then went on a six-point run to secure the match.