ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University women's volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon in a tri-match as the Knights celebrated Senior Day.
 
The Knights opened the day by defeating Gwynedd Mercy University 3-2 in Atlantic East action. Neumann then dropped a 3-1 decision to King's (Pa.) College in the final match. Prior to the conference match, the Knights honored its senior class: Austin Raymer, Delaney Jack and manager Isaiah Raye-Ryan.
 
In the win over the Griffins, Melissa Eddy tallied 17 kills and 19 digs. Jack and Julia Solomon each added nine kills. Kyla Carney handed out 47 assists. Hannah Strohm notched 34 digs and four service aces. Bri Gautier added 13 digs.
 
Neumann won set one with two strong runs, first by taking a 12-11 lead and building a 16-11 advantage on two kills by Eddy, a kill by Jack and a Strohm service ace. The Knights then scored six straight points to extend their lead to 24-15. After a point by the Griffins, a Gwynedd Mercy error gave Neumann the 25-16 set one win.
 
The Knights jumped out to an early 6-1 lead in set two. The Griffins chipped their way into the deficit and pulled to within one, 10-9. The teams then started going back and forth. Kills by Raymer and Solomon brought Neumann to set point, 24-23. Some Knights attack errors let the Griffins come away with the 27-25 set two win.
 
The Griffins used the momentum and scored the first four points of set three. The Knights answered with a run by scoring 11 of 14 points for a 12-8 advantage. Gwynedd Mercy tallied five straight points to pull back within one, 19-18. Three Knights kills helped Neumann take a 23-18 lead. A kill by Carney brought Neumann to set point and a kill by Jack gave the Knights the 25-22 set three win.
 
The teams batted back and forth in the fourth set, but the Griffins came away with a 25-21 win to force set five. Down 9-8 in the final set, Neumann tallied five consecutive points for a 12-9 advantage. Gwynedd Mercy netted the next two points for a 12-11 Neumann edge. Solomon then tallied a kill and Strohm finished off with two straight service aces for a 15-11 set five and 3-2 match win.
 
Against King's, Solomon hit .325 and finished with 18 kills. Eddy tallied 15 kills and 16 digs. Strohm also tallied 16 digs and added three service aces. Carney dished out 45 assists and 12 digs.
 
Each set was a battle to the end. Down 21-20 late in set one, a kill by Soleil-La'Jour Staggs and two service aces by Eddy put the Knights up 23-21. A kill by Gautier and a Strohm service ace sealed the 25-22 set one win.
 
The stage was reversed in set two, with the Lady Monarchs down 21-20, they went on to score five of the next six points for the 25-22 win to tie the match at one.
 
The Knights used a six-point run in set three to take a 13-9 advantage. King's worked its was back and when the score was knotted at 17, the Lady Monarchs scored five straight points and eight of the next nine for the 25-18 set three win.
 
Set four was much like the first three. With the teams knotted at 22, King's was able to score the next three points to take the 25-22 set and 3-1 match win.  
 
Neumann (11-12, 2-1 Atlantic East) heads to Marywood on Wednesday evening for more Atlantic East action beginning at 7:00 PM.