Morehead, Ky. – The Dukes completed play at the Comfort Inn-Vitational on Saturday morning, earning a 3-2 victory over Eastern Michigan in a five-set thriller. With the win, the Duquesne University volleyball team improves to 7-2 overall and wins its first five set match this season.

POINT OF EMPHASIS
In the opening set, the Eagles used a pair of late runs, including a 7-2 stint to capture the opening stanza, 25-17. It was a hot start for Duquesne in set two as it grabbed an early 9-3 lead, thanks to three service aces and four kills. Sophomore Avery Hobson parked the run with a kill and an ace before graduate student Elizabeth Drelling and freshman Emersen Schrom each registered successful swings. Schrom would card a pair of aces while junior Carsyn Henschen found the floor successfully. Later in the set, the Dukes held a 15-8 advantage on a kill from Drelling and stretched it to 21-14 on a successful swing from Henschen. Eastern Michigan didn't shy away as it scored six of the next seven points to trim the deficit, 22-20. The Dukes would end the set on a 3-1 run, thanks to kills from Schrom, Drelling, and Hobson to even the match 1-1 (25-21).

BEND BUT DON'T BREAK
The Eagles would take set three (25-21) but Duquesne would respond in the fourth stanza. It went back-and-forth to begin the fourth set as they were knotted at 10-10. Eastern Michigan would score four consecutive points before the Dukes netted three straight to trim the deficit. Junior Ariel Helm started the run with a kill before Drelling found the floor successfully and junior Madison Grimm collected a service ace. Later in the set, the Eagles stretched its lead to 18-15 but Duquesne rattled off a 6-1 spurt to take a 21-19 lead. Drelling tallied a kill and a service ace as the Dukes took advantage of three Eagles miscues. Eastern Michigan would tie the score at 21-all before Duquesne registered four straight kills to take the set, 25-21. Henschen started the run, followed by Hobson, Drelling, and Schrom who all found the floor successfully.

FIFTH SET THRILLER
Going to the fifth set, the two teams continued to trade points before Eastern Michigan took a 6-4 lead. The Dukes responded with four straight points, two coming off kills from Robertson and a block from Henschen and Robertson. Later in the set, the Eagles would knot the score at 11-all before back-to-back kills from Schrom gave the Dukes a 13-11 lead. The two teams traded the final four points as a block by Henschen and Robertson sealed the match.

INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
Duquesne featured four players with double-digit kills led by Drelling. She ended with 17 kills on a .294 hitting percentage along with four digs, three blocking assists, and an ace. Henschen and Schrom each finished with 12 kills and four digs while Henchen tallied four block assists and Schrom has a pair of service aces. Hobson was the final Duke in double-figures, ending with 11 successful swings, nine digs, and three aces. Sophomore Chloe Wilmot (31) and graduate student Grace Kristofic (21) combined for 52 assists while each carding six digs. Junior Madison Grimm totaled a team-leading 15 digs while Robertson led the team with six block assists. 
 
UP NEXT
Duquesne returns back to Pittsburgh when it hosts Mercyhurst for a non-conference match on Tuesday, Sept. 17, inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, with the opening serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.