Box Score 1 | Box Score 2


PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Despite back-to-back double-double's from freshman Leanna Jadus (Long Beach, Calif.), the Southern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team dropped a pair of matches to Caldwell University and Philadelphia University on Saturday afternoon. The Owls fell to the Cougars in the first match, 3-1, before coming up short to the Rams in the final match of the day, 3-1. 
 
MATCH 1 vs. Caldwell University: Caldwell 3 | SCSU 1
Set Scores: (1) 25-14 (CU), (2) 25-12 (CU), (3) 25-22 (SCSU), (4) 25-22 (CU)
 
Caldwell took control of the opening set with an 11-6 lead over the Owls. The Cougars continued to push ahead by nine, 16-7, but a kill from Alexandria Jurgens (Cornwall, N.Y.) sparked an Owls' 4-0 run to bring the score within five, 16-11. With the score in favor of the Cougars, 20-12, the Owls answered back with two points, but came up short in the opening frame 25-14.
 
Southern Connecticut and Caldwell opened the second set battling for the lead and managing three ties. After a service error from Briauna Tutwiler (Maricopa, Ariz.), Caldwell extended its lead to five, 12-7, before pushing ahead 18-11 on a kill from Katrina Janssen. Southern Connecticut was able to score a point on a kill from Carly Balskus (Hebron, Conn.), but dropped the second set, 25-12.
 
Caldwell continued its momentum into the third set as the team grabbed an early 9-7 lead, before a 4-0 run gave the Owls their first lead of the frame, 11-9. From that point on, Southern Connecticut remain ahead sending the match into a fourth set after a 25-22 third set victory.
 
Both teams traded points to start of the frame as the Owls' found themselves down 10-9 before a Cougar 4-0 run brought the score to four, 14-10, in favor of Caldwell. Southern Connecticut was able to bring the score within one, 22-21, but was unsuccessful as Caldwell took the final set and match, 25-22.
 
Freshman Leanna Jadus (Long Beach, Calif.) recorded her fifth career double-double as she tallied 11 kills and 15 digs for the Owls. Sophomore Alexandra Nimz (Littleton, Colo.) chipped in with 36 of the Owls' 37 assists. Senior Morgan Carman (Mesa, Ariz.) contributed a team-high 19 digs as junior Faith Ford (New Britain, Conn.) and sophomore Sean Taylor (Kent, Wash.) tallied a team-high four blocks, respectively.
 
MATCH 2 at Philadelphia University: Philadelphia 3 | SCSU 1
Set Scores: (1) 25-21 (PU), (2) 25-21 (SCSU), (3) 25-20 (PU), (4) 25-20 (PU)
 
Southern Connecticut took control of set one, 4-2, but a 6-2 run by Philadelphia put the hosts ahead 8-4. Both teams battled closely as an attack error by the Rams put Southern Connecticut within one, 19-18. Philadelphia inched ahead, 23-18, on a 4-0 run, but the Owls battled back to within two, 23-21, on a 3-0 run. However, the Rams secured the next two points to take the first set 25-21.
 
The second set was not like the first as both teams managed to record 11 ties as the Owls took the set, 25-21. Southern Connecticut controlled most of the second set as a kill from Balskus put the Owls ahead 12-10. Both the Owls and Rams went through six ties as Ford put the Owls up two, 22-20. The Rams answered back with a point, but the Owls prevailed tying the match at 1-1.
 
With the momentum shifted to Southern Connecticut, the Owls found themselves ahead 12-10 to start the set. Not long after, Philadelphia rallied together with an 8-0 run to take its first lead of the frame, 18-12. The Rams remained ahead, 22-14, and ended the set on a 3-2 run sending the match into a fourth set.
 
The final set was all Philadelphia as the hosts opened the frame with six straight points before securing a 13-7 lead over the Owls. Southern Connecticut chipped away at the Rams' lead as the Owls brought the score within six, 23-17. But, it was Philadelphia who ended the final set and match 25-20.
 
Jadus recorded another double-double for the Owls, 14 kills and 10 digs, which makes her double-double total to six. Balskus chipped in with 11 kills, nine digs and three blocks while Jurgens led the defense with a team-high 16 digs and eight kills. Nimz finished the match with a team-high 35 as

Up Next
The Owls are back in action on Sept. 22 as the team travels to Worcester, Mass. to take on Assumption College in a Northeast-10 Conference showdown. First whistle is scheduled for 7 p.m.