Over the weekend, Bucknell Volleyball hosted their first two matches of the season in Davis Gym. The Orange and Blue posted two wins, one against Holy Cross and another against Army. 

On Friday, Sept. 20, Bucknell defeated Holy Cross 3-0. This marked the Bison’s seventh sweep of the 2024 season. During the match, five players recorded five or more kills. Cameron Lloyd ’27 led the way with 10 kills of her own. Additionally, three of the Bison had 10 or more digs, with Tijana Kostic ’26 leading with 12. 

Bucknell outhit Holy Cross .296 to .101 with a 42-31 advantage in kills. Kostic hit .412, and Sidney Shaffer ’27 averaged .353. Caleigh O’Connell ’26, a setter for the Bison, provided 31 assists. 

In the first set, the Bison maintained the lead the entire time, winning 25-20.

The second set featured points being traded back and forth between the two teams. Holy Cross came out with the 1-0 lead and were ahead 5-4 until Bucknell went on a 6-1 run to gain the advantage. After a long set, Riley Tucker ’27 played a kill that ended it 25-17. 

Bucknell dominated the entire third set from the starting serve. The Orange and Blue came out of the gates with a 9-0 start and maintained advantage the entire set, winning it 25-16. 

On Saturday, Sept. 21, Bucknell was victorious over Army in four sets, 3-1. This home win against Army marks the first home win against the Black Knights since 2015. 

Bri Frazilus ’26, Kostic and Shaffer each earned 13 kills apiece, while Tucker collected nine kills with a .412 hitting percentage. Lloyd earned nine kills, and O’Connell provided 46 assists. 

Jordan Hardy ’25 added 23 digs, placing her sixth all-time in the Patriot League record books with a total of 1,709 digs. 

During the first set, Army came out with a 6-1 lead. Despite Bucknell’s push back, they stayed down for a majority of the set. After cutting the deficit to 17-15, the Bison went on a 9-1 run to clinch the opening set at 25-21. 

The second set consisted of the teams trading points back and forth until the score was 6-6. The Bison went on a 4-0 run to obtain an advantage they would not lose throughout the course of the match, and the set ultimately ended 25-18. 

In the third set, Bucknell was aiming for a clean sweep. Unfortunately, after a close battle, the Bison fell to Army 22-25. 

The fourth and final set was pivotal for Bucknell. The Bison struck first, scoring fast and going on a 4-0 run. Ultimately, the teams would trade off points until the game was tied 21-21. Two blocks provided by O’Connell and Shaffer allowed the Bison to go on a 3-0 win to take the set 25-22.

After this weekend the Bison’s record is 10-1 overall and 2-0 in Patriot League play. 

Next weekend, Sept. 28-29, Bucknell will remain at home to face off against Lafayette and Lehigh.