MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – In the opening set, the Millersville University women's volleyball squad came out strong, dominating the court and outhitting the Raiders with a .313 attack percentage. However, Shippensburg battled back to claim the next three sets to secure the match, improving to 7-0 in PSAC play. Set scores were 25-16, 25-18, 25-15, and 25-11.
 
Millersville (5-15, 1-6) tallied 36 kills, four aces, four blocks, 34 assists, and 58 digs in the match. After dropping the opening set, Shippensburg (15-6, 7-0) responded by improving to a .262 hitting percentage while outpacing the Marauders with eight aces and 13 blocks. Taylor Welter and Sam White led the offensive effort, while Marin Esch and Becca Hartranft anchored the defense.
 
Early in the set, Shippensburg and Millersville traded points until Esch pushed the Marauders ahead by two. The teams continued to battle back and forth before Millersville broke away with a 7-0 scoring run fueled by strong plays from Welter, Esch, and Sidonia Cecco. The Marauders capitalized on the Raiders' errors, and with key kills from Amanda Protzman and Alex Nava, Millersville secured the first set.
 
The Raiders found their momentum early in the second set, outscoring the Marauders 8-4. At 10-6, Kat Dalessio and Nava sparked a Millersville push that tied the score at 10. The Marauders briefly regained a one-point lead, but Shippensburg responded with a 12-4 run to even the match at one set apiece.
 
Millersville found some momentum in the third set, keeping pace with the Raiders early on. At 6-5, Shippensburg capitalized on a series of Marauder errors to take a five-point lead. Despite offensive efforts from Protzman and Welter, Millersville couldn't close the gap as the Raiders finished the set on a 5-0 run.
 
The Marauders quickly found themselves trailing by nine after Shippensburg opened the fourth set with an unanswered scoring run. Caroline Halsey broke the strike, but the Raiders answered with another five-point surge. Despite solid plays from White, Esch, and Nava, Millersville couldn't close the gap, ultimately dropping the match.
 
"We came out strong and focused in our first set," said head coach Brian Smith. "The team was relaxed, and the plan was to judge ourselves based on our performance, but overall things went well. I'm happy with the way we battled today."
 
The Marauders' next match is Wednesday, Oct 22 when they host the Golden Rams from West Chester for the second round of overall East PSAC play.