The opening set was all DCC as the Lady Bisons never really mounted a threat, leaving the Lady Cardinals a big window of opportunity. And, they took full advantage by taking a 25-9 win.
However, the final two sets were far less comfortable for DCC as Clearfield was determined to make a game of it.
The Lady Cardinals went up 6-3 early before Clearfield came back with a sideout and four straight service points from Adrianne Stucke, including a pair of aces, to put the Lady Bisons up 8-6.
The set went back-and-forth over the next few minutes and was tied as late as 15-15.
But that was as close as Clearfield got as DCC scored seven straight points, six off Julie Fitzer serves, to make it 22-15. That put the Lady Cardinals in the drivers' seat and they didn't give up the advantage again as they went on to post a 25-18 win for a 2-0 advantage.
The third, and final, set was another nip-and-tuck affair with the Lady Bisons holding the lead for much of the game.
Clearfield lead 2-0 early before DCC's Joanna Fitzer put the Lady Cardinals back in front for a few minutes.
However, Clearfield's Abby Strouse gave the lead back to the Lady Bisons.
The lead continued to go back-and-forth for the next several services and was eventually tied at 17-17 after a sideout by the Lady Cardinals.
It appeared that Clearfield was going to take the set and extend the game when it went up by as many as four points at 21-17 but Joanna Fitzer's turn at the service ling brought the Lady Cardinals back and gave them a 24-21 lead.
A kill by Clearfield's Stucke brought it back to a two-point margin, before DCC's Miller Hopkins stuck a final kill to give the 25-22 win to the Lady Cardinals.
Joanna Fitzer served for eight points in the first set and 12 in the third. She had six aces in the match. Julie Fitzer served for 11 points, including two aces, in the second set.
DCC is back in action Saturday at the Brookville Invitational.
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