LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pa.- Lexy Caltabiano (Woolwich Twp, N.J./GCIT) posted a team-high 13 kills and Lexi Niedrowski (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) combined with Megan St. Jean (Eaton, Co./Eaton) for eight aces (four each) to lead the West Chester University women's volleyball team (9-10) to a 3-1 road victory (25-19, 22-25, 25-13, 25-20) over Lincoln (3-18) on Saturday afternoon.

West Chester played well throughout the afternoon, ending the match with a .273 hitting percentage, including a dominant third-set effort, which saw the Purple and Gold hit .412, coming away with 16 kills on 34 swings in the victory, which ultimately swung momentum back in favor of the Golden Rams.

In the first set, West Chester erased an early 8-4 deficit with a 7-1 run to take an 11-9 lead and prompt an early Lincoln timeout. With the lead back, West Chester continued to extend its advantage, eventually stretching it to 22-15, prompting the second Lion timeout. The hosts began mounting a comeback from this point, cutting the WCU lead to 23-19, prompting the first Golden Ram timeout of the first set. The timeout did its job, halting the Lincoln run and giving West Chester a 25-19 first-set victory.

Lincoln jumped out to an 8-1 lead to start the second set, rattling off eight points unanswered, forcing West Chester to take an early timeout. West Chester began its comeback from this point, making the score 12-10 thanks in part to another Lexi Niedrowski (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) service run, which included back-to-back aces, prompting a Lincoln timeout. Lincoln continued to hold a slim lead as the set progressed but West Chester eventually came all the way back to even the score at 20-20, prompting the second Lions timeout of the set. The two sides began trading points from here, with Lincoln taking a slim 23-22 lead, prompting the second Golden Ram timeout. The hosts closed out the second set with a run, earning a 25-22 second set victory, evening the match at 1-1.

Eager to avoid dropping the third set, West Chester raced out to an 11-4 lead to start the third set, which led to an early timeout by the host Lions. Lincoln began to battle back into the set, cutting the deficit to 12-7 before West Chester went on a 6-1 run, including a pair of Megan St. Jean (Eaton, Co./Eaton) kills to take an 18-8 lead and force the second Lincoln timeout. Following the timeout, West Chester closed out a 25-13 third-set victory, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

West Chester and Lincoln traded points early in the fourth set but it was the Golden Rams who got out to a slim 11-8 lead, prompting the first Lion timeout. Lincoln kept the fourth set close throughout, pulling to within a pair of points in the late stages but West Chester was able to extend its lead back to 22-17, prompting the second and final Lion timeout of the match as WCU closed out a 25-20 fourth-set victory for a 3-1 win in the match.

In addition to the 13 kills by Caltabiano, Hailey Lewis (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) added nine of her own, while Nicole Dimiris (Hockessin, Del./Saint Mark's) led the way with five blocks in the victory. Sydney Heffner (Bath, Pa./Northampton) finished the day with a match-high 18 digs, while Caltabiano added 13 of her own for a double-double. St. Jean led the squad in assists, finishing with 24, while Jamie Byrne (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) added 22 of her own in the road triumph.

Erica Taylor led Lincoln in kills, finishing with 16, while senior Janiece Lumpkin  contributed a team-high three aces in the setback for the Lions.

Up Next:

West Chester returns to action quickly, heading home to face Caldwell on Monday night at 7 p.m. in the first of a three-game homestand in Hollinger.