Millersville, Pa. - The Millersville women's volleyball team had spent nearly a month away from home, and they sure are glad to be back in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Marauders improved to 9-1 on their home court by sweeping PSAC Southwest Division-leading Clarion, 25-15, 25-19, 25-20.

Entering the weekend in a four-way tie for the eighth and final playoff spot with five matches remaining in the regular season, Friday's win was ultra-important for the Marauders, who defeated Clarion for the first time since 2011 and for just the third time in 19 tries all-time. Millersville jumped above .500 overall at 12-11 and more importantly evened its PSAC record to 7-7. Clarion fell to 18-9 (9-5 PSAC).

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• After missing the majority of the Marauders' last two matches, Jayci Suseland returned to the lineup and Clarion had no answer for the Marauders' opposite hitter. Suseland delivered 20 kills to just four errors on 33 swings and added two block solos and a block assist.
• The Marauders were simply the sharper team. Clarion hit .068 with 25 errors and also totaled four service errors. Millersville hit .239, posting 39 kills to just 13 errors. This came against a Clarion club that ranked third in the PSAC in opponent hitting percentage and blocks. Clarion mustered just four blocks while Millersville totaled seven.
• The first set was all Marauders. Breaking a 4-4 tie with four consecutive points, the Marauders outscored Clarion 21-11 the rest of the way. Clarion totaled 12 hitting errors in the set and Millersville took advantage.
• Millersville raced to an early lead in the second set as well, scoring on five of the first six rallies. Three of those points came on kills. Millersville never led by fewer than three points the rest of the way. Clarion closed the gap to 20-17 late, but Suseland took over. She delivered back-to-back kills, added another to put the Marauders up 23-18, and then got the Marauders to set point with her eighth kill of the set. Haley Butler polished off the set with her third kill of the set.
• Millersville led the third set by as many as eight at 16-8 but Clarion slowly closed the gap to two at 21-19. But again, Suseland halted Clarion's momentum with kills on two of the next three rallies. Samantha Miller closed the set and match with a service ace.

COACH BRIAN SMITH QUOTES
• "It was a great match. We played extremely well. We passed well, hit well, and served well. I told the girls 'I don't know what got into you but we have got to keep this momentum going.'"
• "We had seven road matches and that's tough--especially when you travel west a lot, so its really good to be home. We came into tonight 8-1 at home and now were 9-1 so that's really good."
• "It's a big win. We came in in a four-way tie for eighth place so for us to win tonight it was really good."
• "So many players stood out. I thought Samantha Miller served extremely well. Jayci was hitting lights out. Haley hit really well tonight too. All of our attackers did a great job.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
• While Suseland was the lone Marauder to hit double figures in kills, Haley Butler hit an efficient .222 with seven kills to one error.
• Kat Forry totaled 19 digs.
• Courtney Turocy was effective coming off the bench in serving situations. She delivered a match-high three aces.
• Katie Laughman totaled 32 assists and eight digs.

NOTES
• Millersville and Clarion first met in 1992 and Millersville won that first meeting. Friday was just the second win for Millersville over Clarion since then. Both wins have come under the watch of Brian Smith.
• Suseland has totaled 20 kills three times this season. She has 10 consecutive double-digit kill performances.
• Millersville totaled six aces for the third time in the last four matches.
• Millersville's .239 hitting percentage was its best since its sweep of Lock Haven on Sept. 28--a span of nine matches.

UP NEXT
• Millersville hosts Indiana (Pa.) Saturday afternoon at Pucillo Gymnasium. The match is set to start at 1 p.m.

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