Noelle Carota collected a match-high 15 kills, But Kutztown won three straight sets after dropping the opener to hand the Pitt-Johnstown volleyball team a four-set PSAC loss, Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center. The Mountain Cats dropped to 7-8 overall and 0-6 in the PSAC Southwest Division.
After Pitt-Johnstown won the first set 25-13, the Golden Bears stormed back with 27-25, 25-21 and 25-20 wins to close out the match.
It was all Pitt-Johnstown in the first set.
Caitlin Vrabel's kill put the Mountain Cats on top 16-6, before three more kills from Vrabel gave Pitt-Johnston the 25-13 win.
Kutztown got a service ace from Sydney Wilson to put Kutztown up 10-5 to start the second set, before six straight points from Pitt-Johnstown, capped by Carota's kill, gave the lead back to the Mountain Cats at 11-10. However, the Golden Bears were able to push it back out to 21-17, and held off Pitt-Johnstown 27-25 on a Lilly Charlton kill and a Mountain Cat attack error.
In the third set, neither team was able to build any momentum until back-to back kills from Alli Henderson helped Kutztown take a 23-19 lead. Pitt-Johnstown
cut it to 24-21, but a service error gave the Golden Bears the 25-21 win.
Another ace from Wilson closed a 6-0 Kutztown run in the final set to put the Golden Bears in front 12-6, before Carota's kill narrowed it to 18-16. The Mountain Cats were never able to get closer than that and suffered the 25-20 loss on kills from Britney Hewitt and Abbey James.
Carota finished with 15 kills and six digs, and
Jaden Gray added 13 kills and six digs to lead Pitt-Johnstown. The Mountain Cat also got 11 kills and five digs from Vrabel and four kills from
Rebecca Miller.
J.C, Longeville had 42 set assists and seven digs, and
Erin Carmody and
Gabi DeRenzo each had 16 digs for the Mountain Cats.
Erin Patterson's 14 kills and Henderson's 11 kills led the way for the Golden Bears, who improved to 7-10 overall and 1-6 in the PSAC Central Division.
Pitt-Johnstown travels to PSAC matches at Indiana (PA) on Tuesday and Bloomsburg and Lock Haven next weekend.
