(Posted September 4, 2010)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Juniata College women's volleyball dispatched a pair of state and regional rivals to claim the 2010 Asics Invitational title, Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy Sports + Recreation Center.

The second-ranked Eagles (3-0) rebounded a first set wake-up call from Franklin & Marshall and went on to post a 3-1 win over the Diplomats, 19-25, 25-21, 25-10, and 25-15, to open the day two action at the Asics tourney.

Juniata then completed the tourney with a 3-0 whitewash of Dickinson College, 25-18, 25-14, and 25-7.

Senior setter Steph Strauss (Penn Hills, Pa./Penn Hills) took tournament MVP honors, after averaging 8.57 assists per set while racking up 13 kills and hitting .632 over her two matches played.

Libero Libby Morrison (Portland, Ore./Oregon Episcopal School) and middle Kelsey Fuller (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion) joined Strauss on the All-Tournament squad. Morrison turned up 35 digs over the weekend, including 13 versus the Red Devils and 11 against the Diplomats. Fuller also made her presence felt on defense, sprawling for 20 digs over the three matches with 17 kills.

The Juniata trio were joined on the All-Tournament squad by Christopher Newport University's Jessie Heavenrich and Caitlyn Jansen, Franklin & Marshall's Nicole Morano, and Dickinson's Kaylee Britain.

Against F&M, newcomer Amy Miller (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) racked up nine kills with 11 digs, while Kristin Noetzel (Closter, N.J./Northern Valley Regional) and Fuller each added eight kills. Noetzel also had a hand in five blocks. Morrison served up five aces against the Diplomats, and Strauss recorded 23 assists while running a Juniata offense that hit .221 for the match.

The Diplomats were led by Morano with nine kills, but the All-America middle was held to a .043 attack percentage by the Eagles.

Juniata held F&M to a .016 hitting percentage for the match, including a negative attack clip in the third and fourth sets.

Sophomore outside hitter Ashley Schnader (Reinholds, Pa./Garden Spot) and freshman Rachelle Wiegand (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) each logged eight kills to lead Juniata in its shutout win over Dickinson. Taylor Harpster (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) added seven terminations.

Freshman setter Courtney Greenberg (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers) guided the Juniata offense to a .387 hitting percentage in her first collegiate start, tallying 32 assists. Jordan Hopper (Laguna Beach, Calif./St. Margaret's Episcopal) led Juniata's defensive efforts with 13 digs.

Juniata will travel to Latrobe, Pa., on Wednesday night, September 8, to face Saint Vincent College in a 7:00 p.m. match.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.