California (PA) erased a 2-sets-to-1 deficit, including five straight match points in the fourth set, to defeat the Pitt-Johnstown volleyball team in five sets, in the Mountain Cats' home-opener on Friday.  Maura Brehl had 20 kills and Caitlin Vrabel added 13 kills to Pitt-Johnstown, which slipped to 5-8 overall and 1-2 in the PSAC Central.
 
In the opening set, California (PA) scored five straight points to run out to a 9-2 lead on Lois van Schaik's kill and never looked back.  Pitt-Johnstown was able to narrow it to 10-6, but the Vulcans regained control and extended to 18-10, before closing out the 25-14 victory on back-to-back Sarah Moehring service aces.
 
With the score knotted at five in the second set, Pitt-Johnstown slowly began to take control and got a kill from Brehl and a service ace from J.C. Longeville to climb out to a 14-8 lead.  California (PA) battled to within two at 23-21, but the Mountain Cats used an Anna Johns' kill and a Vulcan's attack error to even the match with the 25-21 win.
 
California (PA) used a quick 5-0 run to take an early three-point lead.  Pitt-Johnstown came back with its own 5-0 spurt to erase a one-point deficit and go in front 14-10 on Brehl's block and at Vulcans' attack error.  The Mountain Cats never gave up the lead and got a Noelle Carota kill to push it out to five, before Brehl's kill gave Pitt-Johnstown a 25-20 win.
 
In a close fourth set, Pitt-Johnstown clawed back to go up 14-10 on a Carota service ace and a kill from Brehl.  California (PA) tied it at 15 Rachel Priore kill, but the Mountain Cats pushed it out to 22-17 with Grace Miller's kill.  The Vulcans Vulcans answered again.  This time, erasing a 24-19 deficit with six straight points to go in front 25-24, before forcing a fifth set with a 27-25 victory.
 
The Vulcans started the deciding set quickly and stormed out to a 5-0 lead and extended it to 9-2 on von Schaik's kill, before J.C. Longeville's kill cut it to 14-11.  However, a Mountain Cat attack error gave the Vulcans the 15-12 win.
 
Along with her 20 kills, Brehl had a match-high 21 digs, while Vrabel added two blocks and an ace to go along with her 13 kills.  Pitt-Johnstown also got nine kills and 11 digs from Carota and four kills apiece from Johns and Miller.
 
Longeville's 43 set assists and 14 digs led the way for the Mountain Cats.  Erin Carmody collected 18 digs, and Hailey Mackenthun tallied eight digs.
 
California (PA), which improved to 10-5 overall and 3-0 in the PSAC Southwest, was led by Priore's 20 kills.  Moehring and von Schaik each had a dozen kills for the Vulcans.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will host a PSAC match against Seton Hill on Saturday at 1 p.m. and a non-conference match against West Liberty (WV) on Tuesday at 7 p.m., before traveling to conference matches at East Stroudsburg and at Kutztown next weekend.