BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Loyola University Maryland women's volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the match and forced Lehigh University into a fifth set, but the Mountain Hawks used a 15-13 fifth-set victory to sneak by the Greyhounds in the Patriot League opener at Leeman-Turner Arena Friday night.
 
Freshman Abby Hamilton led the Greyhounds (4-9 overall, 0-1 Patriot League) with her third collegiate double-double, landing a match-high 20 kills – one shy of her career high – and adding 10 digs, while junior Ann Ernst added 19 kills and senior Haley Puddy added 15.
 
Senior Molly Werts and sophomore Alex Fisher also recorded double-doubles as the setters dished out 26 assists each. Werts added 14 digs and Fisher collected 12.
 
Freshman Katie Forsythe shared match-high honors in digs with Lehigh's Emily Develle, as they each recorded 18.
 
Lehigh (12-1, 1-0) was picked to finish second in the Preseason Patriot League Poll. The Mountain Hawks were led by Sabrina Lancaster's 16 kills and Hannah Wright's 12.
 
The Greyhounds started the match hot, working their lead to 10-7 off a kill and block from sophomore Mackenzie Fedota. Lehigh closed the gap though, using an 8-4 run to pull ahead 15-12. Hamilton landed a kill to keep Loyola within striking distance, but the Mountain Hawks scored 10 of the final 14 points to take the first set, 25-17.
 
The second set was again a back-and-forth affair, featuring 11 tie scores before Lehigh broke open an even 16-16 stalemate with four-straight points. Hamilton sparked a three-point run with a pair of kills, bringing Loyola within one, at 20-19. Hamilton knocked down her ninth kill of the match after a pair of Mountain Hawk kills, but that would be as close as Loyola would get, as Lehigh capped off the set with three-straight points for a 25-20 victory.
 
Neither team could control the early goings of the third frame either, but it would be the Greyhounds that would come out on top this time. Out of a Loyola timeout with the score tied 19-19, the game's 11th tied score, Ernst knocked down consecutive kills to give the Greyhounds a 21-19 advantage. The Mountain Hawks responded with a kill of their own, but freshman Cat Vaccaro's block on the next rally put Loyola up, 22-20. Lehigh again cut Loyola's deficit to one, but Ernst's kill kept the Mountain Hawks from evening the score at 22 and Puddy's kill gave Loyola its first set-point opportunity, at 24-22. A Lehigh attack error gave Loyola the set win at 25-22.
 
The Greyhounds carried the momentum into the fourth set and dominated early on. Holding a 6-4 advantage, Hamilton landed four kills in a 10-point run that put Loyola ahead, 16-5. Lehigh responded to the streak with a kill and ultimately scored six of the next seven points to pull within six, at 17-11. Hamilton halted the Mountain Hawks' comeback with a kill though, and the Greyhounds had an answer for each of Lehigh's points after that, trading scores en route to a 25-17 set win.
 
The fifth set was another close chess match featuring seven tie scores. Down one, at 11-10, Puddy landed back-to-back kills for the Greyhounds to flip a one-point deficit into a 12-11 advantage. The Mountain Hawks answered with their own kill and then landed a service ace to pull ahead 14-12. Hamilton's kill pulled Loyola within one, at 14-13, but Lehigh closed out the match with a kill for a 15-13 victory.
 
The Greyhounds will return to action tomorrow as it travels to Lafayette. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m. at McDonough Arena.