Sept. 14, 2007

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Leopards (4-7) lost two matches on the first day of competition at the American Volleyball Tournament in Washington, D.C. Lafayette suffered a 3-0 setback to Penn and dropped a 3-1 decision to Harvard in the team's final match of the afternoon.

The Leopards opened their day with an 11 a.m. match against Penn and suffered a 3-0 loss to the Quakers. Sophomore Kari Horn led the team in digs with 12, while also adding three assists. Reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Week Katrina Racibarskas recorded a team-best eight kills.

The second game against Penn was a highly competitive one, as there were six lead changes. The Leopards went ahead at several points during the game, including a 14-13 edge, but Penn chipped away at Lafayette's lead and came back for the win.

In the second match of the day, senior Michaela Donohue recorded a double-double in the loss to Harvard. She led both teams with 28 digs to go along with 12 kills. Racibarskas added a team-high 16 kills to finish with 24 for the day. Horn's 25 digs were close behind Donohue's total. Sophomore Ashton Rossi had a solid match, as well, recording a match-high 43 assists, her highest total of the season.

After dropping the first two games, Lafayette managed a 30-20 win in the third game to cut the Crimson's lead to 2-1. Harvard went on to a 30-22 win in the fourth and decisive game, however, to secure the 3-1 win.

The tournament, which pits four teams from the Patriot League against four Ivy League squads, continues tomorrow with Lafayette facing Cornell at 12:30 p.m. in one of the morning's eight matches. The top seeded teams from both conferences will then meet at 4:30 p.m. to crown a tournament champion. The six other teams will face off in consolation matches beginning at 7 p.m.