Marauders push back but fall to Kutztown

Friday, September 25

Millersville, PA

7:00 PM

Millersville University

3-8,0-4PSAC

Kutztown

14-2,2-1PSAC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Kutztown	25	25	25	3
Millersville	22	21	19	0

Photo by: Kaya Wagner 2026

Marauders push back but fall to Kutztown

9/25/2026 9:02:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Bailey Smith, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. — The Millersville University volleyball team faced a tough challenge against Kutztown, falling 3-0 (22-25, 21-25, 19-25) on Friday. Despite the loss, the Marauders showed resilience with comeback efforts in the first two sets. Millersville totaled 26 kills and hit .108, while Kutztown finished with 43 kills and a .155 hitting percentage.

Kutztown held the statistical edge in the attack and posted a 59-40 advantage in digs. The Marauders had a 7-4 advantage in total blocks and committed fewer attack errors, while the full-match totals favored Kutztown in kills, assists and digs. The Marauders produced comeback stretches in the first two sets, taking leads after trailing in both.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Marauders led 22-19 late in the first set, but Kutztown scored the final six points to take it 25-22. Earlier, Millersville answered a 3-1 deficit by moving in front 6-4, with Nadia Sawyer and Alex Nava recording kills during that stretch.

Millersville answered an 11-6 deficit in the second set and pushed in front 14-13 on Amanda Protzman's block, with Sidonia Cecco adding an ace during the stretch. Kutztown moved back ahead and built a 20-16 advantage before Cecco's second ace pulled Millersville within 23-21. Kutztown scored the final two points to take the set 25-21.

Millersville made its strongest late push down 22-16, using a Protzman kill, Protzman/Sawyer block, and another Protzman kill from Julia Chunta to close the gap to 22-19. Kutztown answered with the final three points, ending the set at 25-19.

"We thought we had a good game plan," said head coach Brian Smith. "We wanted to slow down their outside hitters... There was a part of our game plan [holding their outsides] that worked out the way we wanted to. We got tentative because we led the entire first set until the end... A young team like ours is going to be high and low on confidence. To start playing that well and aggressive, and then lose their confidence, things won't turn out well in the end of the set. That makes it more difficult to go further into the match... We had six kills and six errors in set two, which the errors is acceptable but six kills just means we weren't swinging. If the passing gets sloppier, than the setting gets messed up, we have less options offensively. I thought we took ourselves out of that second set and then after that, you're just dealing with a young team struggling with confidence. We started playing better at the end, but the hole is so deep we couldn't get ourselves out. Again, KU came in with a 13-2 record and I thought we came out and represented pretty well. The young teams are going to struggle with confidence... We have to trust ourselves."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Nava led the Marauders with nine kills and 9.0 points while adding three digs. Becca Hartranft collected a team-high 13 digs and added one assist. Chunta finished with a team-best 13 assists and three digs. Cecco recorded three service aces and six digs.

UP NEXT

Up next, the Marauders visit East Stroudsburg on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 1 p.m. in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.