HARRISONBURG, Va. – Despite a hard-fought third set, the Presbyterian College Blue Hose volleyball team (1-2) fell to the James Madison Dukes (2-1) in straight sets, 3-0 (11-25, 8-25, 25-27). Anna Baranski's standout performance throughout the LD&B Insurance Invitational earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
 
COACH BENSON'S THOUGHTS
"JMU is a solid program, so we knew we had a tough challenge ahead of us. Set two was a struggle, but I'm proud of how we fought back, improved our first ball contacts, and elevated our overall play in set three."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST SET
Julia Yurkovich took the first kill of the day, quickly tying the score at 2-2. James Madison responded by taking the next point, but Yurkovich struck again, keeping the game even. The Dukes then surged ahead with a 6-3 lead after a three-point run. Baranski halted JMU's momentum with a kill, narrowing the gap to two points.
 
Brittney Daphnis followed with a powerful attack, and soon after, she teamed up with Hannah Rowe for a block assist, leveling the first set at 6-6. Although JMU regained the lead, Rowe's slam kept the Blue Hose within striking distance. The Dukes then took control, extending their lead to 10-7 with another three-point streak. Courtney Williams broke their run with a well-placed kill, but the Dukes quickly responded with one of their own.
 
After a brief pause, Yurkovich notched her third kill of the set, cutting PC's deficit to just two points. Despite another strong kill from Williams, James Madison managed to score four of the next five points, stretching their lead to 15-10. Yurkovich continued to add to her tally, and PC mounted several strong attacks, but JMU ultimately closed out the set with a 10-point run, winning 25-11.
 
SECOND SET
The Dukes opened the second set with a five-point run before a kill from Williams put Presbyterian on the board. James Madison extended their lead to 7-1, but Williams responded with another well-placed kill. JMU then claimed the next three points, making it 10-2, before Elyse Hutchinson delivered a thunderous solo block, narrowing the gap to 12-3 in favor of the Dukes. A service ace and a subsequent kill from the opponents pushed the score to 14-3.
 
Following a brief pause, Rowe powered a kill to the back of the opponent's court, adding another point for Presby. Despite Rowe's strong attack, James Madison quickly recovered and claimed their 17th point of the set. At 17-4, a JMU service error and a PC attack error brought the score to 18-5. After another JMU point, Daphnis and Williams teamed up for a well-timed block assist. The Dukes then tallied two more kills, pushing their total to 21 points.
 
Ashley Miller made a quick-reaction dig, turning what could have been a point against into a powerful kill by Williams. As both teams traded attack errors, the score moved to 23-8. Ultimately, the Dukes secured the second set with a decisive 25-8 victory.
 
THIRD SET
James Madison started the third set with a kill, but Miller quickly responded with her first kill of the season. Daphnis followed up with a block on a strong JMU attack, giving the Blue Hose an early 2-1 lead. A long rally, which featured a remarkable recovery from Courtney Aulbaugh, ended with a Duke attack error, keeping PC in front, 3-2.
 
The Dukes then scored two consecutive points to regain the lead, but back-to-back kills from Ava Smith put the Blue Hose ahead once again, 5-4. After trading points, Celimar Hoyos hammered down a kill, extending Presby's lead to two points. The score reached 10-8 after more back-and-forth action, highlighted by a quick kill from Baranski. Although JMU tied it at 10-10, the Blue Hose responded with a four-point rally, fueled by Baranski's precise ball placement and three powerful kills from Williams, pushing the lead to 14-10.
 
Despite Yurkovich's multiple attack attempts, JMU went on a five-point run to seize the lead at 15-14. Williams then delivered a well-placed kill to tie the score at 15-15. The teams continued trading points, with the score leveling at 17-17 after a hard-hit kill from Miller. Two attack errors by the Dukes allowed Presby to edge ahead, 19-17, but JMU quickly answered with three kills, taking a 20-19 lead.
 
Miller evened the score with another kill, and she, along with Williams, kept up the pressure with hard-hitting attacks. However, James Madison managed to pull ahead again, making it 22-20. The Dukes extended their lead to 23-20 before a block assist from Daphnis and Williams brought Presby within striking distance.
 
With JMU holding match point, the Blue Hose refused to back down. Yurkovich delivered a crucial kill, followed by a block from Smith and Williams, narrowing the deficit to 24-23. An attack error by the Dukes tied the score at 24-24. Aulbaugh then made a huge dig, setting up Williams for a kill that put the Blue Hose ahead 25-24, giving them set point. The Dukes, however, answered with a kill to tie the set at 25-25, then took a 26-25 lead with another kill. A final block from JMU ended the set 27-25.
 
NOTABLES
- Williams finished the day with 10 kills, including five in the third set. She also recorded an impressive .370 hitting percentage and contributed four blocks.
- Yurkovich tallied four kills in the first set.
- Daphnis racked up five blocks, two of which were solo efforts.
 
BARANKSI NAMED ALL-TOURNAMENT PLAYER
Junior setter Anna Baranski played a pivotal role for the Blue Hose in all three matches and 13 sets at the 2024 LD&B Insurance Invitational, earning a well-deserved spot on the All-Tournament Team. She delivered an impressive stat line, finishing the weekend with 89 assists, 16 kills, a .277 hitting percentage, 36 digs, and four blocks.
 
Baranski secured the team's first double-double of the season in a five-set match against Stony Brook, where she recorded 33 assists and 23 digs, along with six kills on a .316 hitting percentage. In the team's five-set victory over Delaware State, she notched another double-double, contributing 38 assists, 10 digs, and eight kills with a .273 hitting percentage.
 
2024 LD&B Insurance Invitational All-Tournament Team
Torri Henry (S) – Stony Brook (MVP)
Kali Moore (OH) – Stony Brook
Valeria Otero (OH) – Delaware State
Miëtte Veldman (OH) – James Madison
Savanah Cockrill (MB) – James Madison
Anna Baranski (S) - Presbyterian
 
UP NEXT
The Blue Hose will compete in the Wofford Invitational beginning with a pair of matches on September, 6 against Campbell and Queens.