Noelle Carota had a match-high 17 kills and 11 digs, and Caitlin Vrabel tallied 13 kills and three blocks to lead the Pitt-Johnstown volleyball team to a five-set PSAC Crossover victory at Bloomsburg on Friday.  The Mountain Cats improved to 9-8 overall and 2-6 in the PSAC Southwest Division.
 
After dropping the first 25-16, Pitt-Johnstown responded with 25-20 and 25-19 wins, before Bloomsburg forced a final set with a 25-25 victory.  However, the Mountain Cats built an early lead and coasted to a 15-8 win to end the match.
 
Bloomsburg took advantage of four Alyssa Cianciulli service aces and raced out to a 10-0 lead.  Pitt-Johnstown got back in it and cut it to 13-9 with a 9-3 run, capped by a Jaden Gray kill and a block from Carota and Vrabel.  However, the Huskies pushed it back out to an eight-point lead and went on to take the opening set, 25-16, on a Mary Kate Mooney kill.
 
Pitt-Johnstown evened the match with a 25-20 win in the second set.  Kills from Vrabel and Carota helped the Mountain Cats erase an early three-point deficit and put Pitt-Johnstown on top 10-7.  Bloomsburg was able to knot it at 12 on a Grace Giza kill, but the Mountain Cats never surrendered the lead.  Pitt-Johnstown held the lead and outscored the Huskies, 6-1, down the stretch, including a kill from Lauren Gechter that ended the set.
 
Two more kills from Vrabel and Carota helped Pitt-Johnstown jump out to an 11-5 lead to begin the fourth set.  Bloomsburg was able to get as close as two on four occasions, with the last coming at 20-18 on Mia Nicholes' kill, but the Mountain Cats finished strong again and wrapped-up a 25-19 with another kill from Carota and an ace from J.C. Longeville.
 
Facing elimination, Bloomsburg broke an 8-8 tie with a 9-0 run to build a 17-9 advantage on Sydney Buell's block.  Vrabel's kill got the Mountain Cats to within four at 23-19, but the Huskies were able to force a fifth set with a 25-20 victory.
 
Pitt-Johnstown took control early in the final set and climbed out to a 5-0 lead on Anna Johns' kill.  Bloomsburg got as close as 9-7, but the Mountain Cats closed out the match with a 6-1 to seal the five-set victory with kills from Carota and a block from Johns.
 
Along with Carota and Vrabel, the Mountain Cats also got eight kills and nine digs from Gray, seven kills and six blocks from Johns, and six kills and four blocks from Gechter.
 
Longeville added a pair of kills and a match-high 47 set assists, while Erin Carmody finished with a team-high 20 digs for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Bloomsburg, which fell to 7-14 overall and 2-7 in the PSAC Eastern Division, was led by Mooney's 11 kills, and Grace Giza's nine kills and match-high seven blocks.
 
Pitt-Johnstown travels to a PSAC match at Lock Haven on Saturday, and to a non-conference match at Point Park on Tuesday, before returning home to host conference matches against California (PA) on October 25 and Seton Hill on October 26.