The Misericordia University women's volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-1 decision to Eastern, Tuesday night at the Anderson Center.

The Cougars took the opener, 25-22, but Eastern rallied to win the next three, 25-21, 25-13, 25-19.

Tara Welliver led MU with 10 kills and two blocks and Jassmine Watson added nine kills, two aces and 14 digs.

Amanda Curcio had nine kills and two blocks.

Karley May had 28 assists and Kaitlin Wheeler and Sarah Pool added 14 and 13 digs, respectively.

MU jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the opener on two aces by May and a cross-court kill by Curcio.

Watson recorded back-to-back aces to key a 5-0 to stretch the lead to 9-2.

Eastern rallied and eventually took a 17-15 lead, but the Cougars answered with three straight points to take an 18-17 lead.

Eagles used a 4-0 run to take a 22-20 lead before the Cougars closed the set with five straight points.

Welliver ended a long rally with a kill inside the back right corner to get the Cougars within a point and Watson tied it with a kill inside the left pole.

Watson's smash down the left side gave the Cougars the lead and an Eastern error set up match point.

Pool's serve was played back over the net and Welliver was there for the clinching kill in the middle.

The teams went back and forth throughout the second set with Eastern eventually taking a 20-14 lead.

Watson's kill off the net ended a long rally and she added a smash down the left side to get the Cougars within 20-17.

Another Watson kill off the net and two Eastern errors pulled the Cougars within 21-20, but the Eagles ended the set on a 4-1 run.

The Eagles never trailed in the third set and closed with a 7-1 spurt to win 25-13.

The fourth set featured more back-and-forth play with MU taking an early 5-2 lead on Welliver's smash in the middle.

Pool's ace and three Eastern errors gave the Cougars a 10-7 lead, but the Eagles battled back to tie it, 15-15

Welliver's kill tied it, 18-18, but the Eagles closed the match on a 7-1 spurt.

The Cougars are 9-4 overall and 1-1 in the MAC Freedom.