PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Presbyterian College volleyball team saved their most exciting match of the season for the non-conference finale on Sunday afternoon from the City of Brotherly Love, deleting a two-sets-to-zero deficit on a neutral floor to execute a frantic victory over Quinnipiac (17-25, 22-25, 29-27, 25-23, 15-11).
Junior Julia Yurkovich turned in her greatest-ever performance to captain the comeback, soaring to 19 kills (15 after only three sets). The Blue Hose survived three Match Point situations in Set Three to win their second match in a row, having also downed Dartmouth less than 24 hours earlier.
Sunday was PC's first five-set contest of the season in 12 appearances. It was also PC's first successful comeback from a 2-0 deficit since February 2021 when they bested Radford.
Yurkovich and fellow junior Anisa Dorlouis were both chosen for the All-Tournament Team on the final day of the Cherry & White Classic (held at Temple University), combining for 27 kills in the W.
Head coach Maddie Moss picked a perfect time for her squad to enter their home opener in five days, starting off the Big South slate this Friday evening versus Charleston Southern.
SET ONE – QUINNIPIAC def. PC, 25-17
- Although Dorlouis began the contest with an ace, the opening stanza was mostly controlled by the opposing side. Celimar Hoyos and Brittany Daphnis registered back-to-back kills to pull within 9-8, although Quinnipiac went on a 9-2 run immediately after.
- Trailing 21-13, the Blue Hose mounted a brief glimpse of momentum in the form of a 4-0 spurt (featuring two Yurkovich kills in that span), although the Bobcats responded with four unanswered points of their own to claim the first set.
SET TWO – QUINNIPIAC def. PC, 25-22
- On top by a 9-6 clip only for Quinnipiac to counter with a 7-1 flurry, PC found themselves playing catch-up for the second straight time.
- Numerous blocks and kills by Yurkovich and Elyse Hutchinson allowed the Blue Hose to climb back in the picture and tie the score at 17, 18, and 21. However, Presby was unable to wrestle the lead back in their favor in any of those three opportunities.
- The Blue Hose pulled to within one (23-22), but the Bobcats would earn the last two points of the set to plummet PC's chances of winning.
SET THREE – PC def. QUINNIPIAC, 29-27
- Presbyterian's resiliency was endless in Philly, even after falling behind 5-0 in the third chapter. This would ultimately turn into the longest set of the season for coach Moss's gang, a moment where they came up extra clutch to extend the match.
- In danger of being swept and facing a 22-17 hole, the Scotsmen stormed back with five unanswered points (capped by another Yurkovich kill).
- There were a grand total of six ties from this point forward until Set Three was decided, as Hutchinson delivered a timely kill to knot things up at 23 apiece.
- Yurkovich prevented the Bobcats from picking up the win with her 15th kill of the afternoon that halted the Match Point status. Dorlouis and Daphnis tag-teamed a double block in the next volley to position PC on the doorstep of the Set Three win.
- Following two straight Quinnipiac points to once again put Presby inches away from defeat, Dorlouis answered the call for another set-tying kill (27-all). The Bobcats committed a costly error in the next sequence, setting up Daphnis and Corutney Williams for a set-ending double rejection.
- This was the longest set to involve Presbyterian since November 15 of last year, a win over Charleston Southern who is coincidentally PC's upcoming opponent.
SET FOUR – PC def. QUINNIPIAC, 25-23
- The intensity was turned up several notches now that the Blue Hose had a set win under their belt, with no one taking a lead larger than two in the fourth set until Hutchinson and Ava Smith's double block put PC ahead 11-8.
- Two Presbyterian miscues enabled Quinnipiac to jump in front 16-15, their first advantage since the board read 5-4.
- Fast forward to a 19-16 Bobcat cushion and another Blue Hose rally that snuffed out any possibility of a runaway. Williams and Daphnis synced up for another crucial block to finish a 3-0 PC spurt and bring the set right back to square one.
- Smith, Williams, and Yurkovich all slammed daggers into Quinnipiac down the stretch of Set Four, necessitating a winner-take-all fifth frame.
SET FIVE – PC def. QUINNIPIAC, 15-11
- Once PC jolted ahead at 6-5 in the last frame, they'd never relinquish the lead for the rest of the way. Yurkovich and Hutchinson grabbed another block to give the Scotsmen a 9-6 edge, just six points away from completing the comeback.
- The Bobcats offered a 3-0 run as a rebuttal and tied the score one more time at nine each, but PC would end the afternoon on a 6-2 run that cemented the result.
- Yurkovich lined up her 19th kill that moved the Blue Hose ahead 12-10, the most kills by any PC player since Williams tallied 20 at USC Upstate last fall.
- Dorlouis was the one to archive the match-winning point, concluding Presbyterian's first-ever match against Quinnipiac on a very high note.
NOTABLES
- Yurkovich has now recorded double-digit kills in eight of PC's 12 games entering Big South play. Not to be outdone, Hutchinson finished with nine kills in her own right, seven blocks, and a team-best .263 attack percentage (minimum 15 attempts).
- Dorlouis was all over the stat sheet on Sunday, pouring in eight kills, nine digs, three blocks, and 41 assists.
- Overall, the Blue Hose put together 15 blocks compared to just five from Quinnipiac. Included among that total was seven rejections by Daphnis. Elsewhere, second-year libero Aubrie Arnold led the way in the digs department with 15.
UP NEXT
- Solely on the road for almost an entire month, Presbyterian will make their 2025 Templeton Gymnasium debut on the 26th in a head-to-head with Charleston Southern. First serve will take place at six o'clock, streaming live on ESPN+.
- The Buccaneers are right at .500 with a 6-6 mark before going up against South Carolina State in two days, losing their last two matches to Clemson and Georgetown (both in four).
Presbyterian Tops Dartmouth
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Presbyterian Blue Hose (3-8) topped the Dartmouth Big Green (2-6), 3-1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-21, 28-26), in the Cherry & White Tournament at Temple University on Saturday afternoon.
Elyse Hutchinson paced the Blue Hose with 13 kills and a .688 hitting percentage. Julia Yurkovich recorded 13 kills. Courtney Williams tallied 10 kills with a .321 hitting percentage. Anisa Dorlouis collected 39 assists and 17 digs.
As a team, the Blue Hose had 54 kills while posting a .250 hitting percentage.
SET ONE – PC 25, Dartmouth 22
The lead exchanged hands several times with six ties. With the score knotted at 11, Dartmouth scored two straight points. Presbyterian recorded three of the next four points, tying the score at 14 after a kill from Hutchinson. Presbyterian moved in front by one after a Dartmouth attack error. The set would have four more ties until with the score knotted at 21, Presbyterian would score four of the final five points for the 25-22 win after a kill by Williams.
SET TWO – Dartmouth 26, PC 16
Dartmouth scored nine of the first 12 points of the set, taking a 9-3 lead. Presbyterian would cut Dartmouth's lead to four points several times, but they were not able to get any closer as the Big Green tied the match at one set apiece, with a 25-16 win.
SET THREE – PC 25, Dartmouth 21
Dartmouth scored the first two points, but then the Blue Hose answered with three straight points after a kill by Emma McHatten. With the set tied at four, a kill by Hutchinson gave the Blue Hose a lead they would never relinquish. Presbyterian enjoyed a six-point lead four times during the rest of the set. Hutchinson closed out the set victory for the Blue Hose with a kill, giving PC a 25-21 set three win.
SET THREE – PC 28, Dartmouth 26
Dartmouth scored four of the first five points of the set. Dartmouth pushed its lead to 9-3. Dartmouth maintained a lead until a kill from Yurkovich tied the score at 19. Presbyterian eventually took a 23-21 lead after another Yurkovich kill. Dartmouth regained the lead a couple of times. With the score tied at 25, Presbyterian regained the lead after a Dartmouth attack error. A Presbyterian service error tied the score at 26. Two Dartmouth attack errors gave the Blue Hose the set and match wins.
RELATED:
A key component of the Presbyterian College volleyball team’s back-to-back victories over Dartmouth and Quinnipiac in Philadelphia, Anisa Dorlouis has been selected as the Adidas / Game One PC Student-Athlete of the Week.
The Blue Hose defeated their second Ivy League school on Saturday in four sets before then coming all the way back from an 0-2 deficit less than 24 hours later in a dramatic triumph over Quinnipiac.
Dorlouis was at the center of both wins (held at Temple University), combining for 18 kills, 37 digs, four blocks, and two aces over a three-game stretch.
She – along with Julia Yurkovich – was named to the All-Tournament team at the Cherry & White Invitational, aiding the Blue Hose to their first successful 2-0 comeback since the spring of 2021.
STUFFING THE STAT SHEET
- A native of Gainesville, Florida and a transfer from Maryland Eastern Shore, Dorlouis was seemingly everywhere throughout the Quinnipiac rally. Against the Bobcats, she scattered eight kills in just 14 attack opportunities along with three rejections.
- Presbyterian survived three Match Point situations in the third set to ultimately win their fourth contest of the season, beginning the comeback with a 29-27 decision in Set Three.
- That was the longest set to involve the Blue Hose since November 2024 (a win over Charleston Southern who is coincidentally PC’s next obstacle).
- Dorlouis lined up the match-clinching point in Set Five – wrapping up a 15-11 margin – flirting with a double-double to finish the tournament (eight kills, nine digs).
LOOKING AHEAD
- After 12 straight road or neutral matches to begin 2025, Dorlouis and co. will play inside Templeton Gymnasium for the first time on Friday evening. Charleston Southern visits for a 6:00 start, televised on ESPN+.
- Presbyterian is 21-16 all-time against the Buccaneers, an annual series that dates back nearly two decades. PC has beaten CSU in three of their last four attempts, including a four-set outcome in Clinton last November.
GAME ONE
- The Presbyterian College athletic department partnered with Game One – an official team dealer for Adidas – on a multi-year apparel agreement in the fall of 2022. PC’s partnership with Adidas began in 2015 to outfit the Blue Hose athletic programs.
- Game One is among the country’s largest and fastest-growing sports equipment and apparel suppliers, serving a loyal customer base of 13,000 schools and organizations in 38 states.
