The Shippensburg University volleyball team suffered its first straight-set loss of the season Friday night, as it was tripped up at Shepherd in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup at the Butcher Athletic Center. Set scores were 20-25, 21-25 and 22-25.
 
Shippensburg (12-10, 6-2 PSAC East) ended the match hitting .153 from the floor and recording 36 kills. Shepherd (17-4, 8-0 PSAC East) finished the match with 41 kills and a .312 hitting percentage. The Raiders were out-blocked by the Rams 10-1. SU delivered six service aces to Shepherd's four. 
 
Senior Emily Gardner led the offense with 11 kills, hitting .156 from the floor. Gardner added 10 digs to record her 15th double-double of the season. Sophomore Natalya Montague added eight kills for the Raiders. Montague hit .400 from the floor, only committing two attack errors on 15 swings.
 
Junior Kearstin Davis handed out 31 assists and tacked on two aces and 19 digs.
 
The beginning of the first set proved to be a back-and-forth battle as neither team was able to pull away with a strong lead. After a 2-0 run, Shepherd took the lead, 9-7. The Raiders responded with a pair of kills from sophomore Hailey Cappleman and Gardner to tie the set, 11-11. The Rams completed a 6-0 run to regain the lead, 18-13. Montague delivered a kill that sparked a 4-0 run that featured an ace from junior Berkley Simmons and cut the deficit to one, 18-17. The Rams completed a 2-0 run to increase their lead, 21-18. SU came within one again after a Gardner kill and a Ram error. Shepherd scored the final four points to claim the set one victory, 25-20.
 
The Rams took an early lead, 6-2. A 5-1 scoring stretch that included three kills from Montague and a kill from Gardner tied the set, 7-7. A kill from junior Isabelle Bombas and a Davis ace put the Raiders in the lead, 10-9. The Rams responded with a 3-0 run to take the lead, 12-10. Montague notched a kill to put the Raiders within one, 14-13. A kill from Cappleman and a Ram error tied the set, 15-15. Shepherd took a two-point lead, 19-17. Davis served an ace and the combined block of Bombas and Gardner tied the set, 19-19. With the score tied 21-21, a 4-0 Ram run ended set two in favor of the hosts, 25-21.
 
A Gardner kill and a Ram error gave SU the lead, 3-2. Shepherd answered with a 2-0 run to take the lead, 6-5. A 6-2 scoring stretch that featured a pair of kills from Gardner gave the Raiders the lead, 12-9. Shepherd responded with a 7-0 run to take-over the lead, 16-12. The Raiders cut the deficit to three, 18-15. The Rams arrived at set point, 24-17. The Raiders staved off six straight match points with a run that featured an ace from senior Kat Negron and a Gardner kill to get to 24-22. Shepherd delivered the final kill to win set three and the match, 25-22.
 
This was the second matchup this season between the teams. Shepherd won the first meeting in a five-set thriller at Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg will travel to Pitt-Johnstown at 6 p.m. Tuesday for a non-conference match at the Sports Center.