Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Senior Jessica Cortese (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) registered her eighth double-double of the season to help Gettysburg sweep McDaniel in volleyball action on Tuesday, giving the Bullets the first spot in the upcoming Centennial Conference (CC) tournament.
Cortese notched nine of her match-high 17 kills in the second game and eight of her 13 digs in game one to give Gettysburg (21-4, 8-0 CC) its 14th straight victory over the Green Terror.
Nicole Barr (Annapolis, MD/Broadneck) and Erin Barkdoll (Dover, PA/Dover) added to the attack with 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Shannan Smith (Milmont Park, PA/Ridley) put up 43 assists while Steph Vial (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) led the way defensively with 21 digs.
Mindy Minchhoff led McDaniel (7-13, 3-4 CC) with six kills while Krista Eiser steadied the defense with 16 digs.
Trailing 3-0 in the opening game, Smith and Erica Rau (Oakland Park, FL/Pine Crest) combined to serve seven of the next eight points to give the Bullets a 7-4 lead.
Clinging to a 13-9 lead, Cortese ripped off seven consecutive service points to push the lead to 20-9. During the run, Barkdoll, Barr and Rau each knocked down consecutive kills and Cortese added one of her team-high three aces.
Back-to-back Gettysburg attacking errors pulled the Green Terror to within 21-15 but they could get no closer as the Bullets walked away with the 30-18 game-one victory.
In the second game and tied at 3-all, Cortese recorded kills on three of the next four points to give Gettysburg a 7-3 advantage.
The Bullets gradually pulled away to wrap up a 30-16 win.
With 11-10 lead, Cortese put away a kill and then served the next five points, including her other two aces, to give Gettysburg a 17-10 cushion.
After an Eiser ace and Bullet attack error pulled McDaniel back to within 20-18, Barr put down one of her four game-three kills then found a hole for her third and final service ace to stretch the lead to 22-18.
Three more Barr service points moved the advantage to 25-18 before four straight Gettysburg errors pulled the Green Terror back to 25-22.
Still up 27-23, Diana McNamee (King of Prussia, PA/Villa Maria Academy) and Barkdoll killed the next two ball and Katie Potochney (Roselle, NJ/Roselle Catholic) notched the Bullets' 14th and final ace to win the game 30-23 and wrap up the sweep.
The 14 service aces for Gettysburg was a season high, trumping the 13 done twice previously.
The Bullets become the first CC team to wrap up a spot in the upcoming conference tournament, scheduled for Nov. 4, 6-7. Gettysburg will secure home-court advantage with a victory in one of its final two matches.
The Bullets conclude their home schedule on Saturday against Ursinus. Match time is 12 p.m.
Gettysburg def. McDaniel, 3-0 (30-18, 30-16, 30-23)
Gettysburg Leaders:
Kills: Jessica Cortese 17, Nicole Barr 13, Erin Barkdoll 10; Assists: Shannan Smith 43; Service Aces: Cortese 3, Barr 3; Digs: Steph Vial 21, Cortese 13; Blocks: none.
McDaniel Leaders:
Kills: Mindy Minchhoff 6, Deanne Lehr 4, Sarah Fessler 4, Ginn Dale 4; Assists: Jamie Bodden 15; Service Aces: Lehr 1, Krista Eiser 1; Digs: Eiser 16, Tamara Twardowski 10; Blocks: Eiser 3.
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