MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University women's volleyball team battled hard against the No. 1-ranked team in Division III, but Juniata College came away with a 3-0 victory in a Landmark Conference match-up Friday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
The undefeated Eagles (20-0, 6-0 LC), the defending NCAA Division III champions, won 25-9, 25-16, 25-14.
 
Sophomore Teeya Desgoutte posted six kills for the Rangers (7-13, 4-4 LC) while freshman Alyssa Rachwal handed out 13 assists. Junior Lauren Gaza added 16 digs for Drew.
 
Mackenzie Coley and Emily Sullivan tallied nine kills apiece for Juniata.
 
The Rangers scored the first point of the match on a service ace from Gaza, and the match was tied 5-5 in the early going, when sophomore Marissa Guajardo and Rachwal each threw down a kill. But the Eagles used an 8-0 run midway through the set to pull away.
 
Juniata never trailed in the second set after jumping out to a 4-0 and 11-4 lead. Desgoutte led the Rangers with three kills in the set.
 
The final set was close in the early going, and Drew trailed just 8-5 thanks in part to a pair of Desgoutte kills and one kill from sophomore Abigail Pereira. Juniata led by only three (14-11) midway through the period, but that's when the Eagles used a decisive 8-1 run to open up some breathing room.
 
The Rangers conclude their Landmark Conference regular-season schedule on Saturday, when they host Lycoming College at 10:30 a.m.