Caitlin Vrabel's 11 kills led three Pitt-Johnstown players who finished with double figure kills to help the Mountain Cats rebound for an opening round loss with a four-set victory over Lake Erie (OH) in Friday's Second Round of the Clarion University tony Banner Memorial Tournament.  Pitt-Johnstown is now 1-1.
 
The Storm took the first set, 25-18, but the Mountain Cats responded with 25-21, 25-18 and 25-20 wins to take the match.
 
After Erin Carmody's service ace gave Pitt-Johnstown an 8-7 first set advantage, Lake Erie answered with an 11-2 run, capped by Carolin Santa's kill, that put the Storm in front 18-10.  The Mountain Cats pulled to within four on Grace Miller's kill and a Lake Erie attack error, but the Storm scored the final three points to take the set, 25-18.
 
In the second set, Pitt-Johnstown built a 10-5 lead on Lauren Gechter's kill.  The Storm kept it close and cut it to 20-19 on Courtney Rosebrook's kill, but the Mountain Cats were able to hold on and used a Tatiana Pitcher kill, followed by Pitcher's, ace to even the match at one set apiece with a 25-21 victory.
 
Pitt-Johnstown got a block from Vrabel and a Lake Erie error to climb out to a 12-7 lead in the third set.  The Mountain Cats never let Lake Erie get closer than three the rest of the way.  Another kill from Gechtner extended it to seven, before Pitt-Johnstown closed out the 25-18 win on Pitcher's second ace of the match.
 
Three straight kills from Vrabel early in the fourth set gave Pitt-Johnstown a 9-6 advantage.  Maria Blatnik's ace held the Storm claw back to knot it at 11.  However, the Mountain Cats never gave up the lead.  Consecutive Lake Erie errors got Pitt-Johnstown's lead out to 18-13, and the Mountain Cats went on to the four-set victory with a 25-20 win.
 
Along with Vrabel's 11 kills, Pitt-Johnstown also got 10 kills and two blocks from Gechter and 10 kills and five digs from Pitcher.  Jaden Gray collected nine kills and 13 digs, and Anna Johns finished with three kills and four blocks.
 
J.C. Longeville led everyone with a match-high 44 set assists.  Longeville also had eight digs, while Carmody tallied a match-high 19 digs for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Hailey Nielsen's 11 kills and Santa's 10 kills led the way for Lake Erie, which dropped to 0-3 to begin the season. 
 
Pitt-Johnstown closes out the Clarion Tournament on Saturday with matches against Saginaw Valley State (MI) at 11 a.m. and Davenport (MI) at 3 p.m.  The Mountain Cats will then travel to the Stonehill (MA) Tournament next weekend and to the Lake Erie (OH) Tournament on September 21-22, before opening their home schedule with PSAC matches against Shepherd on September 27 and Shippensburg on September 28.