The Lancaster Bible College women's volleyball team opened its 2016 season with a loss on Friday night as the the Chargers dropped the opening match of the Crosstown Crossover against Franklin & Marshall. Elizabethtown swept Penn St. Berks, 3-0 in the other matchup of the Crosstown Crossover. 

How it Happened: The opening set went back-and-forth as neither team could take control of the match, but the Diplomats finally created some separation midway through the set as they strung together six straight points and turned a 13-11 deficit into a 17-13 advantage. Lancaster Bible answered back and won five of the next seven points to close the gap to 19-18. After the teams traded points, F&M got four kills from four different players during the next five points to take a 23-19 lead. Down 24-20, Lancaster Bible made it interesting as kills from Alyssa Bowen and Ashtyn Bouslog, along with an F&M error cut the Chargers' deficit to 24-23, but the Diplomats Sarah Landry put the set away with a kill and gave F&M set one, 25-23.

After going down, 5-1 early in the second set, Lancaster Bible rattled off six straight points to take a 7-5 lead. In a match that featured several scoring runs by each team, F&M collected seven of the next nine points and restored its lead at 12-9. The Chargers answered right back and eventually took a 17-15 lead on an F&M service error. Six straight points from the Diplomats followed and the visitors took a 21-17 lead and eventually won the set, 25-21.

The third set had an ugly start for the Chargers as F&M took a 9-0 lead and eventually led 17-4 later in the set. The Chargers didn't quit however and won 10 of the next 12 points to cut the deficit to 19-14, but F&M's lead proved to be too big as the Diplomats swept the match with a 25-18 third set win.

By the Numbers: F&M had 40 kills, while the Chargers compiled just 19...The Diplomats also led in aces, 7-2, but the Chargers had more digs at 58-55 and have five blocks to F&M's four...Bowen and Bouslog each had five kills to pace the Chargers, while freshman Allison Shuey had 16 assists, 12 digs and three blocks in her first collegiate match...Junior Myranda Kemrer had a team-high 17 digs, while fellow junior Lauren Grimm added 11 digs.

The Coach Says: "I thought it was a good first showing for us," Lancaster Bible Head Coach Lauren Bewley said. "It's nice to see some aspects we still need to work on and to play a good team this early in the season. I think going forward we need to play with a little more urgency and pick up the pace of our play."

Information Hodge Podge: Lancaster Bible drops to 0-10 all-time against Franklin & Marshall...This is the fifth season for the Crosstown Crossover and the Chargers, including Friday's match, are just 1-12 in those matches...Franklin & Marshall meanwhile has never lost a Crosstown Crossover match and improves to 13-0.

Up Next: Lancaster Bible will compete in the second day of the tournament on Saturday at Franklin & Marshall as the Chargers face Penn St. Berks at 11 a.m. and Elizabethtown at 1 p.m.