The Shippensburg University volleyball team opened its season over the weekend at the Tony Banner Memorial Classic. The Raiders had a record of 1-3 in the four matches played over the course of Friday and Saturday.
In the first match the Raiders were swept by Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) foe Clarion University. In the first set the Raiders had seven kills and seven errors. The Raiders dropped the first set to Clarion 25-18. The Golden Eagles had 17 kills in the set.
The second set was the same story for the Raiders as they dropped it 25-15 with only five kills in the set. The Golden Eagles again had 17 kills in the second set. The Raiders then dropped their third set in a row, losing 25-17.
In the second game of the tournament, the Raiders faced Palm Beach Atlantic University. The Raiders took the first set of the match with 15 kills on 34 total attempts. The Raiders won the set 25-20.
The second set of the match was close, but the Sailfish were able to pull away with a 25-23 win to tie the game at 1-1. In the third set the Sailfish beat the Raiders 17-25. In the fourth set the Sailfish finished the match with a dominant 25-15 win. The Raiders fell to Palm Beach Atlantic and dropped to 0-2 in the tournament.
In the third game the Raiders faced Fayetteville State University. The Raiders took the first two sets in the match 27-25 and 25-22. The Raiders dropped the third set to the Broncos, but in the fourth set they were able to pull out of a deficit and win. This gave them their first win of the tournament and their first win of the season.
In the final match of the tournament the Raiders were swept by Northwood University 3-0. The Raiders lost the first set to the Timberwolves 25-21. In the second set the Raiders struggled and lost 25-16. Finally, the Raiders dropped a close third set 26-24.
The SU volleyball team is back in action next weekend as they will travel to Ettrick, Virginia, to play in the Virginia State home opener tournament. The Raiders first game in the tournament is at 9 a.m. on Friday against Chowan University.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.