RADNOR, Pa.- It took nearly two hours, but No. 21 Eastern University Volleyball (24-5) emerged with a tough 3-1 victory over local rival Cabrini College (18-8). Kearby Benak led the way with 18 kills, and Lauren Sproles added a season-best tying 15 kills in the win.

From the outset, it was apparent that Eastern's Eagle Rd. neighbors were poised to provide a stiff test. Cabrini jumped to a 9-4 lead out of the gate in the opening set. Slowly, the Eagles crawled back into the set. Eastern closed the gap to a point at 16-15 on an attack error, and they grabbed control of the match a few points later on a four point serving run from Erin Hillman. The first-year outside hitter tied the match with an ace at 18-18. Sproles put the Eagles up with a kill, and then the Cavaliers were unable to find the court on swings after tough serves from Hillman.

Lauren Horst gave the Eagles set point at 24-20 on a service ace off the tape, and Benak brought the Eastern faithful to their feet with a big kill for a side-out to take the opening set.

After the two teams traded points early in the second set, everything clicked for Eastern for about fifteen minutes. The Eagles led 8-6 when Hillman went back to serve. Hillman served a deck full of aces to help her squad to a 15-6 lead. The Eagles finished the evening with 16 aces. Cabrini closed within six points at 18-12, but they were never able to put together a run that pressured the Eastern team in the second set.

The third set, however, was a different story. The Cavaliers again jumped to a lead at 9-5, and they held a six point lead at 18-12. Though the Eagles scratched their way back into a 23-23 tie, the Cavs were able to scramble through a crazy rally for a side out and earn a point on serve to force a fourth set. The Eagles hit just .089 in the third set.

The fourth set delivered on what rivalry games should look like. Both teams produced great points. The Eagles built a 13-8 lead on the service of Sadie Beckenhauer, but the Cavs battled back. Once Cabrini tied the set at 20-20, neither team led by more than one point until Kaitlyn Gochenauer put down her fourth kill of the match to give Eastern a 30-28 win in the set. 

Eastern hit .275 in the final set. Sproles led the way for the Eagles with a stellar .452 percentage from the outside. Danielle Carrozza led Cabrini with a match high 19 kills. Rikki Schlager had 41 assists and Kelly Groff led the Eagles with 15 digs.

The Eagles are back in action at Elizabethtown College for a pair of matches tomorrow. They return home as the top seed in the Freedom Conference Tournament this Wednesday night against Misericordia University.

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