The Shippensburg University volleyball team endured a rollercoaster match Friday night in Clinton County but ultimately defeated host Lock Haven in five sets, claiming the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division contest at Thomas Fieldhouse. Set scores were 25-12, 25-11, 22-25, 18-25 and 16-14.
 
Shippensburg (9-6, 2-0 PSAC East) went five sets for the fifth time in 15 matches this season despite taking a 2-0 lead over Lock Haven (3-11, 1-1). The final frame featured eight ties and three lead changes until, at 15-14, Jaiden Anderson delivered SU's 18th ace of the night to end it.
 
The Raiders have served 35 aces through their first two divisional matches. SU recorded 17 aces Tuesday night at Shepherd; both occasions are the most aces for Shippensburg in a match since Sept. 29, 2011 against Cheyney.
 
With the score at 15-11 in the first set, the Raiders closed the frame on a 10-1 run. SU scored 16 of the first 20 points in the quickly settled second set to take a 2-0 lead.
 
In the first two sets, Shippensburg ripped 24 kills on just three errors – a .420 hitting percentage – and had none of its 50 attack attempts blocked.
 
Lock Haven never quit. It led for the majority of the third set, forcing a Raider timeout at 15-11. SU came back to tie the set at 17-17 thanks to three consecutive aces by Berkley Simmons. With the set tied 22-22, the Bald Eagles used two kills and a block to get within one.
 
The fourth set was 14-14 when the hosts erupted for an 8-1 run that set the stages for the tense finale.
 
In the third and fourth sets, Lock Haven hit .329 from the floor (31 kills on just eight errors) while forcing 13 Raider attack errors. The Bald Eagles recorded all seven of their blocks in those two sets.
 
SU led 12-9 in the fifth set before the hosts scored four-in-a-row to take a 13-12 lead. Back-to-back kills by Clara Wildermuth and Gracen Nutt created a match point for the Raiders that was countered with a Bald Eagle kill. Nutt and Natalya Montague teamed up for a block to create the second match point, which Anderson then punctuated with the ace.
 
Nutt led SU with 13 kills. Montague (10 kills, .450) and Wildermuth (nine kills, .364) were integral to the cause with their efficiency; both players also had two block assists. Simmons finished with a team-high five aces, while Elise Bragg had a career-high four.
 
Kearstin Davis contributed 35 assists and eight digs. Libero Shay Kolivoski had a match-high 23 digs and served three aces. Anderson had eight assists and two aces. Shea Stevens had a career-high 11 digs.
 
Ten different Raiders recorded at least one kill in the match, while seven different Raiders combined for the 18 aces. The Bald Eagles finished with four aces.
 
Gracelynn Wolzen had a match-high 17 kills for Lock Haven, 11 of which came in the final three sets. Madelyn Mitchell had a double-double of 12 kills and 12 digs.
 
Shippensburg is back in action early Saturday with an 11 a.m. divisional match at Bloomsburg.