Box Score
Marissa Erminio collected a match-high 18 kills, but Western Division No. 2 Seeded Clarion University raced to a double-digit lead in the fifth set and upset Pitt-Johnstown, the top-seed in the Eastern Division, 3-sets-to-2 in Friday's PSAC Volleyball Tournament Semifinals in the Sports Center.  The Lady Cats, slipped to 29-6.
 
With the victory, Clarion advances to the Saturday's PSAC title match against Shippensburg, a 3-sets-to-2 winner over Edinboro in Friday's other semifinal.  Tip-off for the championships match is set for 7 p.m. in the Sports Center.
 
Clarion defeated Pitt-Johnstown, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 15-7

Pitt-Johnstown opened-up a four-point lead midway through the first set, and increased it to 15-10 on Erminio's kill.  Clarion scored the next three, but the Lady Cats answered with four straight of the own off of Kendall Mahony's serve to increase it to 19-15 on another Erminio kill.  A kill by Maura Brehl made it 24-18, before the Golden Eagles fought off three straight set points to narrow the gap to 24-21 on a Gabreille Olson kill and a Pitt-Johnstown attack error.  That was as close as it would get as Brehl's kill gave the Lady Cats a 25-21 win.
 
Abbey Cox's kill gave the Golden Eagles a 9-6 advantage to start the second set, but Pitt-Johnstown used a quick 4-0 run to retake the lead 10-9 on a CambriaWierman kill and back-to-back Clarion attack errors.  Pitt-Johnstown maintained at least a two-point lead until Clarion tied it at 21 and retook the lead 23-22 on Mackenzie Biggs' kill.  The Lady Cats tied it on Erminio's kill, but the Golden Eagles scored the last two points, including Cox' kill that secured a 25-23 victory and evened the match at one set apiece.
 
In the third set, Pitt-Johnstown fell behind 11-7, but rallied to tie it at 13, then go back in front, 15-14, on Mahony's kill followed by a Clarion attack error.  However, the Golden Eagles went on to outscore the Lady Cats 9-3 to build a 23-18 lead on two consecutive Pitt-Johnstown attack errors, and held on for a 25-20 win.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Lady Cats responded with a 25-21 victory in the fourth set.  Pitt-Johnstown erased a four-point deficit with a 15-6 run to take a five-point lead of its own.  Mahony's kill gave the lead back to the Lady Cats at 11-10, and a kill by Wierman and another Clarion attack error closed the run that gave Pitt-Johnstown a 20-15 advantage.  Mahony's kill put it a set point, Erminio's kill ended it to keep the Lady Cats alive.
 
In a race to 15 in the final set, it was all Golden Eagles.  Clarion raced out to an 11-1 lead and earned its spot in Saturday's PSAC Championship match with a 15-7 win.
 
Along with her 18 kills, Erminio had seven digs and a block, while Wierman had 14 kills and 11 digs.  Mahony had 13 kills, five blocks and a pair service aces, and Brehl chipped-in nine kills, five blocks, and six digs for the Lady Cats. 
 
Allison Mondorff led Pitt-Johnstown with 27 set assist and 15 digs, and Jessica Dillon tallied 24 assists.  In addition, Devan Orr tied for match-high with 25 digs.
 
Clarion was led by Biggs' 16 kills and 12 blocks, and Olson's 11 kills and 13 blocks.  With the victory, the Golden Eagles improved to 21-15.