BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Looking to stop a University of Bridgeport team that had won six of their last seven matches and came into the evening undefeated in conference play while tied for the North Division lead in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference with Dominican (N.Y.), Post University Women's Volleyball fought for four sets against the Purple Knights before ultimately falling, 3-1, on Wednesday night in Bridgeport. 

THE BASICS

Post University 1, University of Bridgeport 3

Post University (2-11, 2-2 CACC)
University of Bridgeport (11-3, 4-0 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Junior outside hitter Hannah Brandt would kick things off with a kill for Post University before the Purple Knights responded with a 3-0 run on three consecutive kills from three different players to take the lead. The Eagles would take the lead on three different occasions, the last one being 10-9, and the last tie being 11 all, before another 3-0 run from Bridgeport saw them take control for good. The dagger of the set would come with the Eagles trailing by three, 21-18, when freshman outside hitter Hailey Jessen led the way for a 4-0 set-winning run for the Purple Knights with two kills. 

Never trailing in set number two, Bridgeport would take a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-17 set victory. Similar to set one, the Eagles got on the board first before a 3-0 run gave the Purple Knights a lead they would only expand on the rest of the way. Leading by as many as four throughout most of the set with the exception of a few quick runs by the Eagles that pulled them even at 12 or within a couple of points later on, another late Bridgeport run would be the finishing blow. Leading by four, back-to-back errors from Post followed by two service aces from sophomore Lucia Tomiello gave Bridgeport the win.

However, the Eagles would not go down without a fight and after trailing 3-0 right off the bat in set three, sophomore outside hitter Kaitlyn Sharkey rattled off three kills while junior outside hitter Tamara Radovanov tacked on a service ace and Bridgeport committed an attack error to help Post rally for a 5-0 run and the lead. That would be a lead they would not give up the rest of the way and instead be one they continuously added onto and stretch to eight points, 21-13, at one point. Three straight kills by freshman outside hitter Grace Presswood highlighted a 4-0 rally by the Purple Knights, but the Eagles would close out the third set behind two kills from junior middle hitter Niah Mesidor to stay alive. 

Looking to close out the match for a second time, the Purple Knights would jump out to a 5-0 lead behind two service aces from junior setter Drollinger, a pair of Eagles errors, and a kill from Jessen. In response, Post would come back with four straight points behind one of junior hitter Caley Harper's 15 kills along with two attack errors and a kill from Brandt. Just when it looked like Bridgeport would pull away up 16-11, the Eagles came roaring back with a 4-0 run to pull within one, 16-15. 

Following a Harper service ace, the fourth set would be knotted up at 20 all and Bridgeport would be on the cusp of victory after scoring three of the next four points. Following a timeout from Head Coach Tiffany Verni, a Brandt kill got the Eagles to within one before the Purple Knights closed the door with a Jessen kill and attack error from Sharkey, taking the set, 25-22, and the match in four sets, 3-1. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Caley Harper notched her sixth consecutive double-digit kill game, finishing the match with 15 kills and a .217 hitting percentage
• Izabella Rae finished the match with a season-high 26 assists, her career-high is 32 assists set last season 
• CACC Player/Rookie of the Week Hailey Jessen finished with 14 kills on 31 attempts for a .323 hitting percentage 
• Lucia Lomiello recorded the highest hitting percentage for the Purple Knights with a .381 percentage after going 11-for-21 on attacks 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University returns to the floor on Saturday morning to take on Wilmington University at 11:00 AM in Wilmington, Delaware. The Eagles are 5-22 all-time against the Wildcats and have dropped their last three matchups against them with the latest one being a five-set defeat last October at home.