The Lancaster Bible College Women's Volleyball team hosted their United East Volt Division Semifinal playoff match on Tuesday night as the two-seed, taking on the fourth-seeded Lions of Penn St. Harrisburg. The Chargers came away with the five-set victory in an exciting and thrilling match, moving to 18-10 on the season and advancing to the Volt Division Final on Thursday.
 
How it Happened:
The Lions went on an early run, taking a 5-0 lead in the first set, but the Chargers fought right back behind kills from Jessica Fletcher and Morgan Fenstermacher, taking an 8-7 lead. Both teams traded points in the middle of the set before a kill and a service ace from senior Chloe King sparked a seven-point run to help lead Lancaster Bible take a 25-20 set one win and the early edge.
 
The second set was fairly even through the early portion, with neither team leading by more than three until a Leah Helman ace capped a four-point run. After eight tie scores in the set, Chloe King helped the Chargers pull away with another kill and ace to end set two on a 10-3 run and take a convincing 2-0 match lead with a 25-19 win.
 
It was the third set that saw the momentum shift in Harrisburg's favor, featuring an eight-point run in the middle of the set to go up 23-19 late. The Chargers fought back with kills from Fletcher and Faith Hammond, but the Lions rallied for a 27-25 victory to keep their season alive. Harrisburg once again showed signs of life in the fourth set as they knocked a match-high 12 kills in the set, going on another big run of five points to take a late lead. Fenstermacher and King had kills, but the Lions won set four 25-23 to send the semifinal match to a decisive fifth and final set.
 
With the crowd fully behind the Chargers, LBC began with the first two points of set five, with Sheyenne King landing a kill. With the set tied 5-5, the Chargers opened it up with a massive seven-point run powered by three kills from Fletcher and two from Fenstermacher. Up 14-7 with a chance to clinch it, Hammond made a great defensive save and a Lions error ended the set 15-7 and sent the Chargers to the Divisional Final.

From the Coach: "I was proud of our effort and fight tonight. This team has been resilient all season long. We weathered the storm to come out on top. We are excited to be in the divisional finals!" ~ Head Coach Julie Brubaker
 
By the Numbers:
- The Chargers won the battle in kills (53-39) and showed out defensively with 106 digs
- Freshman Jessica Fletcher led all players with 17 kills on the night
- Seniors Morgan Fenstermacher (13) and Chloe King (10) also recorded double-digit kills for the Chargers
- Chloe King recorded a career-high 30 digs while Leah Helman finished with 27 digs
- Helman had a game-high six service aces
- The Lions were led by Hannah DeGregory, posting 11 kills, 17 assists, and eight blocks
 
Information to Know:
This was the Chargers' first playoff win since 2018 and their second win over Harrisburg this season. Lancaster Bible has matched their win total from last season with 18 victories. Senior Chloe King's 10 kills tonight helped her move into 5^th in program history, sitting at 747 total kills and one of just seven players with 700+ kills in Charger history. Leah Helman's six service aces give her 57 on the season and 134 for her career, her 15^th game with multiple service aces and extending her streak to eight consecutive games with a service ace. Jessica Fletcher's 17 kills were her most in a home game this season.
 
Up Next:
The Chargers have advanced to the United East Volt Division Final and will take on top-seeded Gallaudet University on Thursday, November 9 for a spot in the conference championship game.