GETTYSBURG, Pa.  – The Gettysburg College volleyball team returned to the court for the first time in 671 days and scored a pair of victories on the opening day of its own Battlefield Classic, taking out Gallaudet University 3-1 and sweeping past Penn State Berks 3-0.
 
Match 1

Gettysburg (2-0)	25	25	23	25
Gallaudet (1-1)	19	22	25	12

 
Gettysburg's Top Performers
- Zanze Kuba-McCoy '23 (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) – 15 Kills, 11 Digs
- Kylie Ulrich '24 (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) – 11 Kills
- Sophie Nasir '25 (Covina, Calif./St. Lucy's Priory) – 24 Assists, 5 Aces
- Chelsea O'Leary '24 (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) – 16 Digs
- Callie Pidoriano '24 (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) – 15 Digs
- Sarah Ellis '22 (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) – 18 Assists, 7 Digs
 
Gallaudet's Top Performers
- Karita Lewis – 13 Kills, 7 Digs
- Emily Wright – 11 Kills
- Mia Upchurch – 16 Digs
- Emma Giuntoli – 30 Assists, 8 Digs
 
Match Summary

• First Set: Gettysburg came out on all cylinders in its first intercollegiate competition in nearly two years, racing out to a 13-4 advantage. Kuba-McCoy accounted for three kills and a block, while classmate Kat Wilt (Madison, N.J./Madison) pounded down a pair of kills. A kill by Wilt pushed the lead to double-figures at 23-13 and Ulrich closed out the opening set win with a pair of kills for Gettysburg's final two points.
• Second Set: The Bullets held the upper-hand early with Ulrich pushing the margin to 10-6 with a kill. Gallaudet came storming back, mounting a 9-3 run and forcing Gettysburg to take a timeout. Despite the pause, the Bison remained in front by as many as four and took a 22-19 lead on an attack error by Wilt. Wilt came right back to knock a spike to the court and lead the host's final six-point rally to close the match. Following back-to-back attack errors by Gallaudet, Ulrich sealed the win with a kill off a pass from Nasir.
• Third Set: Gettysburg once again took the early lead, but this time when Gallaudet jumped in front, it stayed in front. The Bison took advantage of a series of errors to take a 19-15 lead, and then held on down the stretch with a pair of kills by Lewis wrapping up the 25-23 win.
• Fourth Set: After back-and-forth battles in the previous two sets, the Bullets ran away with the finale. Gettysburg tallied nine of the first 10 points and didn't let the lead slip below 10 following a kill by freshman Cat Holtz (Chester, N.J./West Morris Mendham) which made it 12-2. Back-to-back aces by Nasir made it 23-9 and a final hitting effort by the Bison sealed the 13-point decision.

 
Where the Series Stands Now
Gettysburg has won the last four meetings with Gallaudet and improved to 14-9 in the all-time series.
 
Match 2

Gettysburg (2-0)	25	25	25
Penn State Berks (0-2)	10	22	23

 
Gettysburg's Top Performers
- Zanze Kuba-McCoy '23 – 15 Kills, 4 Digs
- Callie Pidoriano '24 – 15 Digs
- Sarah Ellis '22 – 17 Assists, 6 Digs
- Sophie Nasir '25 – 15 Assists, 3 Aces, 4 Digs
- Chelsea O'Leary '24 – 7 Digs, 3 Aces
 
Penn State Berks' Top Performers
- Cassie Shoupe – 8 Kills, 9 Digs
- Julia Rathsam – 20 Assists, 9 Digs
 
Match Summary

• First Set: Gettysburg dominated the opening set with O'Leary holding serve for eight consecutive points to start the match. The sophomore racked up three aces and kills by Holtz, Kuba-McCoy, and Ellis helped the Bullets race out to the big lead. A block by freshman Michaela Ryan (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) and Holtz put the score at 20-7 and just a few moments later, Ryan closed out the dominant win with a kill from a pass by Nasir.
• Second Set: The Nittany Lions weren't about to roll over and kept Gettysburg within sight in set number two. Penn State erased a three-point deficit with a 5-1 run and jumped ahead 17-16 on a hitting error. A kill by Kuba-McCoy set the Bullets back on the path and the hosts were back in front by four points at 23-19 following a setting error by the Nittany Lions. Holding a 24-22 lead, Kuba-McCoy knocked in the final kill to clinch the 2-0 match advantage.
• Third Set: The same pattern from the second set took hold in the final frame as Gettysburg jumped in front early, only to see Penn State Berks claw its way in front. The Nittany Lions went in front 11-9 before a 5-0 run by the hosts. Despite the run, Gettysburg found itself battling back down the stretch as Penn State Berks pressed its way to the finish line. The visitors led 23-22 before Kuba-McCoy put down an emphatic kill to tie the match. The junior then teamed up with Ryan to stuff a Nittany Lion attack and Nasir provided the finishing touches on the sweep with a perfectly placed push to the far corner.

 
Where the Series Stands Now
This was the first meeting between Gettysburg and Penn State Berks.
 
A Classic Start
Gettysburg has won 16 of its last 18 matches at the Battlefield Classic. The event was a staple of the season schedule for 30 years (1989-2019) prior to the pandemic.
 
Looking Ahead
Gettysburg caps the second day of the Battlefield Classic with a pair of matches on Saturday. The Bullets face Penn State Altoona at 10 a.m. followed by Rowan University at 2 p.m.