BETHANY, W.Va. - The Bethany College women's volleyball team defeated Allegheny (Pa.) College by a final score of 3-2 in the Mental Health Awareness Game and a Presidents' Athletic Conference match on Joe Kurey Memorial Court at Hummel Fieldhouse.
Prior to the game, Bethany College Kalon Scholars presented the "You Matter" Project: a student-led mental health initiative focused on reminding college students that their lives have value even on the days it doesn't feel like it. "You Matter" exists to create a culture of kindness, awareness, and emotional safety. Sometimes the smallest reminder can save someone from feeling invisible. And everyone deserves to know they matter.
Bethany (4-9, 1-1 PAC) Leaders
- Freshman outside hitter Molly Brown (Lancaster, Ohio/Fairfield Union) led all players with a career-high 22 digs and tallied nine kills
- Junior Academic All-PAC right-side hitter Shayleigh Hornyak (Brilliant, Ohio/Buckeye Local) led all players with a career-high 14 kills and put up five blocks in front of the home crowd
- Sophomore setter Aleia Evanko (East Liverpool, Ohio/Beaver Local) led the Green and White with 25 assists against her former team with five digs and four service aces
- Junior Academic All-PAC middle blocker Ashton Thomas (Toronto, Ohio) also reached double figures with 11 kills, five blocks, and four digs
- Freshman Academic All-PAC libero Maddie Koprivec (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Northwest) helped anchor the Bethany defense with 15 digs
- Sophomore Academic All-PAC Grace Padavick (Cleveland, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) assisted on 21 Bison attacks and had five digs
- Graduate middle blocker Megan Chesser (Grove City, Ohio/Bishop Ready) and sophomore Academic All-PAC outside hitter Analesa Perdue (Steubenville, Ohio) each had five digs and put down eight kills and seven kills, respectively
- Sophomore outside hitter Isabella Poppelriter (Wellsville, Ohio) added 10 digs and served up three aces
Allegheny (4-10, 0-1 PAC) Leaders
- Freshman right-side hitter Marissa Rish recorded a 28-assist, 14-dig, 10-kill triple-double for the Gators
- Senior libero Duru Akbas led the team with 16 digs
- Senior middle hitter Skyler Fatola also notched 10 kills for the Allegheny offense
First Set (Bethany 25-21)
- Bethany led 11-9 in kills
- Bison hit .147
- Gators hit .063
Second Set (Bethany 25-21)
- Both teams had 15 kills
- Bison hit .267
- Gators hit .191
Third Set (Allegheny 25-18)
- Allegheny led 11-8 in kills
- Bison hit .032
- Gators hit .226
Fourth Set (Allegheny 27-25)
- Bethany led 15-9 in kills
- Bison hit .167
- Gators hit .132
Fifth Set (Bethany 15-12)
- Bethany led 7-5 in kills
- Bison hit .238
- Gators hit -.074
The Bison are back in action Wednesday, September 30 as they host a Presidents' Athletic Conference match against the Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio) at 6 p.m. on Joe Kurey Memorial Court at Hummel Fieldhouse.
