NEW YORK – Bucknell volleyball split its matches at the St. Francis (N.Y.) Invitational, defeating St. Francis 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 15-12) in the first match and falling to NJIT 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-16) in the second match on Saturday. Kaitlin Segal (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) posted double-doubles in kills and digs in each match.

Segal recorded 13 kills and 13 digs against St. Francis (0-3) before earning 11 kills and 14 digs against NJIT (2-0) later in the day. The totals bring the outsider hitter to a team-best 34 kills and 32 digs on the weekend. Emily Sawanobori (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) also had a strong weekend with 10 total service aces. Her 58 digs gives her an average of 5.27 per set.

Head coach Cindy Opalski was pleased with the rest of the team’s defense as well. The Bison out-blocked both opponents on Saturday, with the 15-5 blocking advantage coming in as a high point for Opalski.

“I think we got really good contributions from a bunch of people. Our serve and defense were the two prevailing factors against St. Francis in the five-set match,” said the coach. “A highlight of the match was our 15-block performance against St. Francis. We have a lot of contributors on that list.”

Ragin Jackson (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Hendrick-Hudson) recorded eight blocks – two solo and six assists – while Anne Ellenberger (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon Honors) and Heidi Kamp (Eugene, Ore./Henry D. Sheldon) each chipped in five to lead the way.

Not until 14-13 did St. Francis take its first lead. The advantage went back and forth for several points, but the Terriers soon claimed five straight scores to go up 20-16. The Bison refused to roll over to the home team, getting two kills apiece from Kamp and Jackson in the final stretch. St. Francis was able to hang on, however, and closed the opening set with a kill from Gina Giles.

Set two remained as close as the first. Neither team could create much headway through much of the contest. Kamp recorded a block solo on the Terriers’ Maria Kashavelova to earn the first four-point lead of the set at 18-14. St. Francis continued to threaten, and came within a single point at 21-20, but Bucknell held on to the end. Yet another kill by Kamp evened the match at one set apiece.

The third set proved to be a bit more comfortable for the Bison. Although the teams found themselves tied at nine, Bucknell regained a lead after taking five of the next seven points and maintained that lead through the remainder of the set. The Bison allowed just four points to the Terriers in the final stretch to pull out to a 2-1 advantage.

That advantage was short-lived, however, as St. Francis came back in the fourth with a 25-19 win. Sawanobori did her best to close the door early, serving five aces to put the Bison up 7-1.

St. Francis steadily worked its way back in the game. A kill by Kashavelova for 12-11 gave St. Francis its first lead since being up 1-0. Momentum was officially in the Terriers’ favor for the remainder of the set, as the Bison managed only eight more points.

Bucknell came through with the match on the line in the fifth set. Segal opened the scoring with her ninth kill of the match. Kyleigh McAhren (Napa, Calif./Justin-Siena) and Kamp also got in on the action by posting kills. McAhren also served back-to-back aces to pull Bucknell within front at 10-9.

The Terriers’ Anisa Lila tied the set at 11 apiece, but she was unable to push her team over the hump. Consecutive errors by St. Francis gave Bucknell the opening it needed, and Segal took advantage by closing the contest with her 12th and 13th kills of the day.

A number of Bison recorded career highs against the Terriers. Jackson finished with 11 kills, while Sawanobori had six aces and 23 digs. Ellenberger also tied a career best in kills with five. Rachel Rodriguez (Sagamore Hills, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) led the team with a season-high 28 assists.

Bucknell was unable to maintain its high into the second match of the day, this time taking on NJIT. Kamp and Jackie Landes (Pacific Palisades, Calif./Wildwood School) struck first with a block assist, and Kamp recorded a kill to put the Bison up 2-0.

Bucknell eventually went up by three at 10-7 following back-to-back kills from Jackson and Ellenberger and a service ace from Sawanobori. The team failed to maintain the lead, however. They found themselves down 11-10 a few points later and, although they tied NJIT at 16, the Bison were unable to clear the final hurdle. NJIT took the early set lead with a 25-21 score.

Like each of the previous sets, Bucknell kept things close in the opening of the second. It eventually found itself in a hole, trailing by its largest deficit at 20-13. The Bison dug out of their hole, however, grabbing 10 of the next 14 points. At 24-23, it looked as though Bucknell might pull off the turnaround. A timeout by NJIT ended the streak, however, and it took the second 25-23.

The Bison saw the same result in the third set. Segal recorded a kill for an Orange and Blue lead at 10-9, but a handful of kills by Ranata Pandolfo and Baaba Hughes put the match out of reach for Bucknell. Kebah Edoho (Odenton, Md./Arundel) gave Bucknell its final point with her second kill of the set. In the end, the Bison fell 25-16.

Segal’s 11 kills led both teams. Rodriguez’s 18 assists was a team high, as was Sawanobori’s 18 digs.

Bucknell will return to New York next weekend when they head to Poughkeepsie for the Marist Invitational Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6. Saturday kicks off with Bucknell taking on Marist at 12:30 p.m., followed by Bryant at 4:30 p.m. Sunday’s opponent will be Providence, scheduled for an 11 a.m. start.