PITTSBURGH—La Salle concluded its regular season with a three-set win over Duquesne on Saturday. The Explorers proved superior on the offensive end, tallying 53 kills with a hitting percentage of .396, compared to Duquesne's 28 kills on .172 hitting.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opening frame was a close one with little to separate the teams. The Explorers had a slim lead up 14-10 after a kill by sophomore Elizabeth Osborn. The Dukes would close to within two points at 18-16, but five unanswered from the visitors essentially gave them the first set.
• The second frame began as tightly contested as the first, with La Salle only up 8-6. The Explorers dominated the middle stretch of the set by going on a 13-6 run, after which they recorded four of the next six to take a 2-0 lead.
• Duquesne responded in the third by holding a number of slim leads, notably ending up with a 16-14 lead. Five unanswered points from La Salle flipped the script and put the away side in control of the frame. The two sides would split the remaining points 6-6 with La Salle emerging with the sweep.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Osborn led all players with 18 kills on a stellar, career-high .484 hitting. 
• In fact, two other Explorers tallied double-digit kills at effective rates: junior Samantha Graver with 14 kills on .379 hitting and Senior Catherine Edgington at 10 kills on .389 hitting.
• Both Graver (14 kills, 18 digs) and senior Kathryn Wood (38 assists, 10 digs) finished with double-doubles, meaning they finish the season with 17 double-doubles each.
• For Wood, it continues a impressive run of six straight games with double-doubles and 10 of last 11 games.
• The win over the Dukes continues La Salle's momentum in the playoffs. The Blue & Gold has emerged victorious in six of its last eight contests.

UP NEXT

• The Explorers await Sunday's results to determine where they'll be seeded and whom they play. Quarterfinals begin on November 22nd.