COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL: NPL'S KOVAL, WELLSBORO'S STARKWEATHER IMPRESSIVE IN LYCO DEBUT (2021-09-06)
Northern Tier West Sports ReportWILLIAMSPORT — The Lycoming College volleyball team, featuring a pair of former West all-staters in North Penn-Liberty’s Ali Koval and Wellsboro’s Megan Starkweather, opened their first season since 2019 by going 2-2 at their hosted quad-match held Friday and Saturday in Lamade Gym.
First-year Koval announced her arrival to college volleyball by putting together four solid performances and being recognized by the MAC Freedom as their conference Defensive Player of the Week.
After a 17-dig, one assist and two aces debut in Lyco’s season-opening loss to Manhattanville, libero Koval helped lead the Warriors to their first win with 17 digs and an ace in a three-game sweep of LaRoche.
Starkweather, a sophomore academically but seeing her first collegiate action due to last year’s cancelled season, lead Lyco with 17 assists in the LaRoche win. The setter had 15 assists, two aces and a block in the Warriors’ first game.
Lycoming dropped a game to Penn State Mont Alto before pulling their record to .500 with a sweep of Notre Dame (Md.).
Koval recorded 33 digs and a kill in the Warriors’ loss, while Starkweather had 17 assists, nine digs and two kills. In the win over Notre Dame, Koval had 18 digs and an assist while Starkweather filled the stat sheet with 27 assists, six digs, three aces, three kills and two blocks.
The Warriors are scheduled to return to action Tuesday when they make the short trip to take on Penn College at 7:00 p.m.
