ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University women's volleyball team battled and defeated Ursinus College 3-1 on Tuesday evening in the home opener.
 
Melanie Malseed led three Knights in double-digit kills with 19. Rachael Hoffman tallied 15 and Ariana Pena added 14. Rachel Cray handed out 23 assists while Alex Koppany tallied 20.
 
Malseed also led the team in digs with 18. Carlee Herrin notched 16, Hayley Glah 12 and Koppany added 10.
 
The Bears opened the game on a 7-1 run to take the early lead. A kill by Malseed started the Knights scoring eight of the next nine points for a 9-8 lead. Ursinus answered with six straight points. Neumann battled back and the teams went back and forth until they were knotted at 21. Hoffman sealed the first set win, 25-23, with a kill.
 
The teams went back and forth throughout the second set and were tied at 23 late in the set. A service ace by Kiersten Longueira put the Knights at set point and a kill by Malseed put the Knights up 2-0 with a 25-23 win.
 
The third set started out like the second set and the teams went point for point with each other. With the score knotted at 14, the Bears went on a run and jumped out to a 21-14 lead. A kill by Pena stopped the run. The Knights battled back to within four, 24-20, but Ursinus got the set point for a 25-20 third set win to force the fourth set.
 
The Knights jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in set four and didn't look back. Neumann took the fourth set, 25-14, and match on a kill by Malseed.
 
Neumann (6-4) will host its annual Knights Invitational this weekend. The Knights will face Catholic and Salisbury on Friday and then NYU and Scranton on Saturday.