CLARION, Pa. - With one match in the books, Brian Netzler couldn't have asked for a better start to his head coaching career. Davenport women's volleyball swept the tournament's host school, Clarion, and looked to carry that momentum into the nightcap. However, Bellarmine, put out the Panthers' fire and did so in straight sets.

GAME ONE: Davenport 3, Clarion 0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-21)
The first set saw two ties in the first eight points scored before the Panthers rattled off eight of the next 10 to go ahead by six, 12-6. However, the Golden Eagles clawed all the way back to take a two-point lead, 20-18, thanks in part to five of six points at the end of that run. Following two more lead changes, Davenport tallied the final three points to go up 1-0 in the match.

The second frame opened with much more back-and-forth play including 14 deadlocks in the initial 36 total points. Once it was knotted up at 18 apiece, the Panthers closed the set by scoring seven of the final 10 points and boasted a 2-0 match advantage.

Aside from one tie at 4-4, it was all Clarion to open the third set including a lead as big as four, 9-5. Davenport then bounced back with seven-straight points for a three-point lead, 12-9. The final tie of the match came at 13-13, but the Panthers didn't let that derail them, won the set and opened 2019 at 1-0.

Individually, Davenport's leaders included Camryn VanderLeest (12 kills), Sami White (20 assists), Grace Hayes (13 assists), Kendra DeJonge (three service aces), Megan Herr (four block assists), and Nina Rudnitsky (16 digs).

GAME TWO: Bellarmine 3, Davenport 0 (18-25, 23-25, 16-25)
Bellarmine scored six of the match's first eight points and nine of its first 13 before a Davenport timeout. From there until the end of the set, the Panthers could never get closer than two and the Knights pushed their advantage to as many as seven.

In the first 20 points of the second period, Davenport held one lead at 3-2, but Bellarmine controlled the momentum to the tune of 12-8. The Panthers then countered with six-straight points and nine of 12 for a two-point lead, 17-15. After three more lead changes, the last one putting the Knights up 23-22, the Panthers were unable to comeback and tie the match at one set apiece.

Davenport scored the first two points of the third set and four of the first six, but Bellarmine came back with an 11-2 run and led by seven, 13-6. After that, the Panthers cut the deficit to as little as four, but no more than that.

DU was paced by Hayley Kreiger (nine kills and three block assists), White (16 assists and 12 digs), Hayes (12 assists), Rudnitsky (two aces and 11 digs), and Emmy Webb (three block assists).

Next up, Davenport will stay in Clarion on Saturday to face Lake Erie (9 a.m.) and Pitt-Johnstown (3 p.m.). Live stats will be available for both of those matches.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler