Noelle Carota had a match-high 17 kills and 12 digs, but Clarion bounced back to win three straight sets after dropping the opener to deal the Pitt-Johnstown women's volleyball team a 3-sets-to-1 PSAC loss, Friday night in Clarion.  The Mountain Cats are now 11-11 overall and 3-9 in the PSAC Southwest Division.
 
After suffering a 25-22 first set loss, the Golden Eagles answered with 25-23, 25-20, and 25-14 wins to seal the victory.
 
Six kills and a block from Tatiana Pitcher in the early going of the opening set helped Pitt-Johnstown double-up Clarion 14-7.  The Golden Eagles followed with an 11-5 run to cut the deficit to 19-8 on Aubrey Wrona's kill, then to 23-22 on a Lydia Leiner kill, but the Mountain Cats were able to close out the 25-22 win with a block from Caitlin Vrabel and Pitcher and a Clarion attack error.
 
In the second set, Pitcher's kill put Pitt-Johnstown in front 8-5, before the Golden Eagles battled back to go in front 15-12 on a combined block from Lauren Aichinger and Leiner.  The Mountain Cats scored the next four to knot it, before regaining the lead 19-18 on a Vrabel kill and an attack error.  Clarion bounced right back and was able to hold for a 25-23 win and even the match at one set apiece on a Pitt-Johnstown hitting error.
 
Neither team was able to build a lead larger than two in the third set until a pair of kills from Leiner put the Golden Eagles on top 16-13.  The Mountain Cats narrowed it to 17-15, but Clarion went on to the 25-20 win to take a 2-sets-to-one advantage.
 
Clarion scored the first eight points of the fourth set, including four kills from Julia Holden, on its way to closing out the match with a 25-14 victory.
 
Along with Carota, Pitt-Johnstown also got 15 kills from Pitcher, nine kills and a pair of blocks from Vrabel, and five kills and three blocks from Anna Johns.
 
J.C. Longeville paced the Mountain Cats with 46 set assists and 10 digs, while Erin Carmody tied for match-high with 24 digs, and Gabi DeRenzo tallied 13 digs.
 
Holden's 16 kills led three Golden Eagles who finished in double figures in kills.  Holly Pittman had 14 kills, and Wrona collected 11 kills and 14 digs for Clarion, which improved to 15-9 overall and 7-5 in the PSAC Northwest.
 
Pitt-Johnstown travels to a PSAC match at Slippery Rock on Saturday, before hosting conference matches against Mercyhurst on Thursday, Edinboro on Friday, and Gannon on November 9.