Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Amber Thomas hit .545 with a team-high 13 kills and added nine digs to lead second-ranked Juniata over Gettysburg 3-0 in non-conference volleyball action on Friday.

 Katie Laucks and Stephanie Kines also reached double digits with 11 and 10 kills, respectively, to help the defending national champion Eagles (12-1) win for the 49th time in 52 meetings with the Bullets (9-8).

 Erica Rau (Oakland Park, FL/Pine Crest) paced Gettysburg with eight kills while Lauren Thul (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) added seven kills and nine digs in the losing effort. Steph Vial (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) led the defense with 14 digs.

 Behind the heavy hitting of Thomas, Laucks, Kines and Rachael Schatz, Juniata improved to 4-1 against teams from last season's NCAA tournament.

 The Bullets hung around in the early moments of game one, getting even at 13 thanks to an Eagle ball-handling error. A kill from Schatz, however, snapped the deadlock and started a 6-1 after which the visitors never trailed.

Schatz, who hit .529 with nine kills on the night, closed the Eagles' 30-19 win with a kill down the middle.

Juniata won five of the first six points in game two and wasn't threatened after opening a 16-9 lead. Thomas racked up seven kills in the second game alone.

Gettysburg used an early game-three run to build a 6-1 advantage and led the whole way until the game's final points. After Meghan McConville (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) made it 25-22 with her third kill of the night, the Eagles burned their second timeout, then rattled off eight of the final nine points to deny the Bullets their first game victory in the series since 1998.

A kills and ace from Thomas closed the match.

Shannan Smith (Milmont Park, PA/Ridley) led Gettysburg with 21 assists while Thul added a team-high four blocks.

The Bullets return to action on Saturday at Haverford and Bryn Mawr. Gettysburg faces the Fords at 12 p.m. and Bryn Mawr at 3 p.m.
 
#2 Juniata d. Gettysburg, 3-0 (30-19, 30-16, 30-26)

Juniata Leaders
Kills: Amber Thomas 13, Katie Laucks 11, Stephanie Kines 10
Digs: Tara McMinn 11, Thomas 9
Assists: Beth Kozak 20
Blocks: Thomas 2
Service Aces: Kristi Fitzsimmons 5

Gettysburg Leaders
Kills: Erica Rau 8, Lauren Thul 7
Digs: Steph Vial 14, Thul 9, Katie Heffner 8
Assists: Shannan Smith 21
Blocks: Thul 4
Service Aces: Heffner 2