BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Freshman setter Kathleen Egan (Cleveland/Beaumont) was named the Most Valuable Player as he Baldwin Wallace University volleyball team won all four of its matches in straight sets to win the 15th Annual Greyhound Invitational hosted by Moravian College.
BW (4-0), who tied with York (Pa.) College with a perfect 4-0 record, won the invitational as it won its four matches in fewer sets then York. The Yellow Jackets opened the invitational with a pair of wins on Friday night as it defeated Alvernia (Pa.) University by scores of 25-11, 25-17 and 25-21 then knocked off host Moravian by scores of 25-20, 26-24 and 25-9. BW won the invitational by posting victories on Saturday against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford by scores of 25-13, 25-15 and 25-21 and against Bard (N.Y.) College by scores of 25-16, 25-16 and 25-19.
In addition to Egan, junior two-time first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference outside hitter Alicia Lortcher (Norwalk) was named to the all-tournament team.
Against Alvernia, Lortcher led the Yellow Jacket offensive attack as she was credited with a match-high 16 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Allyson Smith (Macedonia/Walsh Jesuit) added 10 kills while freshman utility player Jessica Laney (Navarre/Fairless) smacked down six kills. Egan set up the offense with a career-high 39 assists and a career-best two service aces. Freshman libero Sarah Reinhard (Willoughby/South) led the defense with 12 digs. Freshman defensive specialist Jasmine Hromada (Lorain/Elyria Catholic) contributed eight digs.
In the match with Moravian, BW was again led by Lortcher (Norwalk) with a match-high 10 kills. Allyson Smith tallied seven kills while senior All-OAC right side hitter Ellen Hawkins (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) added six kills. Egan set up the offense with 24 assists. Reinhard and Hromada anchored the defense with 11 and a career-high tying 10 digs, respectively.
Against Pitt-Bradford, Smith led the Yellow Jacket offense with a career-high tying 12 kills while Lortcher contributed 11 kills. Egan ran the offense with 29 assists. Lortcher anchored the defense with eight digs.
In the match with Bard, BW was led again by Smith with a match-high 11 kills. Lortcher added seven kills and a match-high and career-best tying four service aces. Egan set up the offense with a match-high 17 assists and added one service ace while freshman Abby Cosart (Lima/Bath) contributed a career-high 11 assists. Hromada anchored the defense with a career-high tying 10 digs.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Friday and Saturday, September 8-9 when the team hosts the 19th Annual Marcia French Memorial Invitational. Friday's matches against North Carolina Wesleyan College and Buffalo State (N.Y.) University are scheduled for 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday's matches against Hilbert (N.Y.) College and Eastern Mennonite (Va.) University are slated for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
