PHILADELPHIA – The Holy Family University volleyball team won two tight matches against Kutztown (25-22, 27-25, 25-23) and St. Thomas Aquinas (24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23) on the opening day of its 2024 season at the Campus Center on Saturday.
Individual Highlights
- Morgan Steck (Lakewood, Colo./Lakewood) had double the amount of assists as any other player in both contests, finishing the day with 83 to move into fourth in program history with 1,636 for her career
- Freshman Gianna DiPilato (Verbank, N.Y./Millbrook) led both matches in kills, tallying with 36 on .313 hitting
- After posting 15, to go along with 10 digs for a double-double, in her collegiate debut, she finished with 21 on .364 hitting in the nightcap
- Fellow Freshman Cadence Palmer (Holland, Pa./Council Rock South) led both contests in digs (14 and 21) on her first day of collegiate action, adding a match-high five service aces in the opener
- Shelby Kinzer (Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington) (five blocks) and Keira Rogan (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) (four aces) paced all players with career-bests in the victory over STAC
- Kalia Espenlaub posted the match's second-highest total, 15 kills on .407 hitting, in the triumph over the Spartans
- Abby Bachman (Westampton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) tallied a career-best five kills in the win over KU, while Brianna Moss (Gainesville, Va./Battlefield) had a career-high three aces versus STAC
- Ava Kidd (Walton, Ky./Larry A. Ryle (Saint Anselm)) had 10 kills in both matches, swinging .326 on the day
Inside the Box
- After more than doubling up KU in hitting percentage in the opener, .190-.072, HFU dominated the net with an 8-0 edge in blocks, while also swinging .275 percent, against STAC
Up Next
The Tigers complete a season-opening three-match home-stand when it hosts Adelphi on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
