Box Score
Marissa Erminio and Kendall Mahony each had a dozen kills to help the Pitt-Johnstown volleyball team outlast host Gannon University in five sets to open Friday's 2015 PSAC Crossover in Erie.  Pitt-Johnstown improved to 7-2 overall and 1-0 in the PSAC Eastern Division.
 
In a very tight match, Gannon earned 25-22 and 25-23 wins in sets one and three, but Pitt-Johnstown answered with 25-22 and 25-23 wins, before winning the match with a 15-11 victory in the fifth set.
 
Pitt-Johnstown climbed out to a 9-5 lead to start the match on Mahony's service ace, the extended it to 13-8 on Erminio's kill.  A Morgan Walters' ace, followed by a Lady Cat error gave the lead back to the Golden Knights at 18-15.  Gannon never gave up the lead and went on to the three-point win.
 
In the second set, the Lady Cats again built a lead.  This time, Jessica Dillon's ace put Pitt-Johnstown up 15-9, but Gannon outscored Pitt-Johnstown 8-1 to go in front 17-16.  However, with the score knotted at 20, the Lady Cats closed out the set with a 4-1 spurt to take the set 25-22.
 
Neither team was able to get a lead larger than two in the third set.  It see-sawed back-and-forth until the Golden Knights got kills from Kelsey Ansec and Maggie Wilhelm to snap a 23-23 tie and claim the set, 25-23.
 
The Lady Cats staved off elimination with a 25-23 win of their own in the fourth set.  Allison Mondorff's kill, followed by a Gannon attack error helped Pitt-Johnstown jump out 5-1.  The Golden Knights battled back to retake the lead by three on Wilhelm's kill, but Pitt-Johnstown answered with kills from Mondorff and Mahony to secure the 25-23 win.
 
It was all Pitt-Johnstown in the final set.  The Lady Cats took advantage of six Gannon errors to open-up an 11-2 advantage and went on to the 15-11 victory on another kill from Erminio.
 
Mahony finished with 12 kills and four blocks, while Erminio had 12 kills to lead four Lady Cats who finished in double figures in kills.  Wierman had 11 kills and 17 digs, while Maura Brehl added 11 kills for blocks.
 
Pitt-Johnstown also got four kills and 29 set assists from Mondorff, and 20 assists from Dillon.  Devan Orr finished with a match-high 29 digs for the Lady Cats.
 
Willhelm and Hannah Kren each had 12 kills for Gannon, which slipped to 7-3 overall and 0-1 in the PSAC West.