Caitlin Vrabel had a team-high nine kills, but Shepherd (WV) University remained unbeaten and dealt the Pitt-Johnstown women's volleyball team a 25-20, 25-22, 25-14 loss to open PSAC-play and the Mountain Cats home schedule, Friday night in the Sports Center.  Pitt-Johnstown slipped to 7-3 overall and 0-1 in the PSAC Southwest Division.
 
Shepherd used a 5-1 first set spurt to open up a 16-11 lead on a Cambriea Hill service ace and a Mountain Cat attack error.  Pitt-Johnstown cut it to 18-16 on two straight errors by the Rams, but Shepherd regained control and outscored the Mountain Cats 7-4 the rest of the way to take the set, 25-20, on Peyton Linblad's kill.
 
The second set was just as close with neither team holding a lead larger than two until the Rams broke a 14-all tie with four straight points to go up 18-14.  The Mountain Cats narrowed it 18-16, then 22-21 on Grace Miller and Vrabel's block and Gabi DeRenzo's ace.  However, Shepherd pushed it out to 24-21, then closed out the 25-22 victory on a Pitt-Johnstown attack error.
 
In the final set, the Mountain Cats erased an early three-point deficit to take a 10-9 on a combined block from Lauren Gechter and Anna Johns, followed by a Shepherd attack error, but that was as close as it would get.  The Rams went on to outscore Pitt-Johnstown 16-4 the rest of the way to wrap up the sweep with a 25-14 victory.
 
Along with Vrabel's nine kills, Pitt-Johnstown also got six kills, six digs, and a pair of blocks Miller and six blocks from Johns.
 
J.C. Longeville pace Pitt-Johnstown with 25 set assists and five digs, while Erin Carmody had a team-high nine digs, and Tatiana Pitcher and Jaden Gray each had six digs.
 
Shepherd improved to 13-0 overall and 1-0 in the PSAC Southeast behind Hill's match-high 12 kills and Linblad's 10 kills.
 
Pitt-Johnstown hosts a PSAC match against Shippensburg on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the sports Center, before traveling to conference matches at Millersville and West Chester next weekend.