YORK, PA – The York College volleyball team dropped to 2-2 on the young season by way of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Gettysburg (7-0) Wednesday evening at York’s Grumbacher Sport & Fitness Center. Despite taking the first game 25-22, the Green and White fell in the next three sets 25-17, 25-21, and 25-9.
    The Spartans posted a fantastic come-from-behind victory in game one, fueled by a nine-point run midway through the opening set. Down 14-6, a Bullet service error began York’s lengthy stretch, which saw the Spartans nab a 15-14 advantage. Later in the set, the home squad captured five of six points to open up a 23-19 lead. A kill from sophomore Heather Bucher (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle) closed out the frame for the Green and White giving the home squad an early 1-0 advantage. Fellow sophomore Julie Coombs (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown) was huge for the Spartans in game one as she notched five kills while Bucher chipped in with three service aces and two kills.
    Gettysburg knotted the match at one garnering the victory in what was mostly a back-and-forth game two. With the set standing at 18-14 and just after the Spartans recorded the point following a fantastic rally, the Bullets captured seven of the next ten points to take the frame. Sophomore Virginia Hogan tallied the final point with a deft touch kill that she placed between several Spartan defenders. Katie McConville proved a tough match-up for the Green and White as her left-handed attempts, resulting in three kills, seemed to flummox the Spartans throughout the set.
    Game three saw the home squad amass a 16-11 lead, securing their 16th point on an Alishia Waltermyer (Brogue, Pa./Red Lion) kill after another fantastic rally. Gettysburg battled back taking seven of the next eight points, an effort helped by a trio of Spartan errors, to lead 18-17. York managed one more tie at 19-19 before the visitors slowly edged out their advantage to the final 25-21 line.
    The fourth set was all Gettysburg as the Bullets steadily built a commanding lead. A pair of seven-point spurts, fueled by four kills and a block from Kristina Mercier, closed out the set and the match for the Bullets.
    The 5-11 Mercier paced all players with 20 kills on 42 total attempts as she hit .381 on the evening. The standout senior also posted 14 digs, two block solos, and one block assist. Fellow senior Amanda Krampf played exceptionally well from her setter position, distributing 43 assists, while adding four service aces, and 18 digs. Kristin Kotewicz led all players with 26 digs for the Bullets.
    For the Spartans, Bucher notched ten kills, three service aces, and 15 digs as she led the Green and White in all three categories. Freshman Melissa Patterson (Edgewater, Md./South River) hit .455 for the match recording six kills in eleven attempts. Cortni Rentzel (Mt. Wolf, Pa./Northeastern) handed out 28 assists while she also posted 14 digs.
    The Spartans return to the court this Friday and Saturday for the Muhlenberg Buttermaker Tournament in Allentown, Pa. In the opener, York squares off against Neumann at 5:00 pm before taking on FDU-Florham at 9:00 pm. Saturday’s slate begins with host Muhlenberg at noon.

BOX SCORE

Melissa Patterson seeks one of her six kills against Gettysburg Wednesday evening. (Photo courtesy of Steve Doemland www.stevedoemland.com)