Pitt-Johnstown, ranked seventh in the NCAA Atlantic Region, forced a fifth set Friday night in Greensburg, but Seton Hill was able to outlast the Mountain Cats, 15-12, in the final set to secure the PSAC Western Division victory over the Mountain Cats and even the season series a one match apiece.  Lauren Gechter's match-high 18 kills led Pitt-Johnstown, which slipped to 12-10 overall and 5-8 in the PSAC West.
 
The Griffins took the first and thirds sets 25-22, and the Mountain Cats collected 25-18 and 25-17 wins in the second and fourth sets.
 
Neither team was able to build a lead more than two points until late in the opening set.  After a Katelyn Courtney/Adiamar Beaz block knotted it at 21 for Pitt-Johnstown, Seton Hill answered to outscore the Mountain Cats, 4-1, down the stretch, including a kill from Teresa Weickert, that gave the Griffins the 25-22 win.
 
Pitt-Johnstown took advantage of a pair of kills from Courtney and four Seton Hill errors to run out to a 6-1 second set advantage.  Cassie Pascarella's kill and another Griffins' error increased it to 14-7, but Seton Hill came back with five straight points to cut it to 14-12.  The Mountain Cats didn't let it get any closer and pulled away for the 25-18 victory.  Grace Miller's service ace got the back out to seven at 20-13, and Pascarella's kill evened the match at one set apiece.
 
In the third set, Seton Hill stormed out to a 12-3 lead on Cameron Baril's service ace.  Pitt-Johnstown battled back and used a 9-1 run, capped by two straight Gechter kills, to narrow the gap to 22-19, before Mara Yahner's kill helped the Griffins hold on for the 25-22 win.
 
Two kills from Gechter and one from Miller helped the Mountain Cats double-up Seton Hill, 12-6, midway through the fourth set.  The Griffins got to within three on a Riley Rock/Katie Koziarz block, before Pitt-Johnstown regained control and scored six of the next seven points to rebuild the lead to 20-12 to force a fifth set with a 25-17 win on Lualis Alvarado's set-clinching block.
 
In the final set, Seton Hill erased a three-point deficit to go in front 7-6 on a Pitt-Johnstown attack error.  Beaz's kill got the Mountain Cats even at nine, but the Griffins outscored the Mountain Cats, 6-3 down the stretch, to seal the five set victory with a 15-12 win on Baril's match-ending kill.
 
Gechter's match-high 18 kills and three blocks assists paced three Mountain Cats with double digit kills.  Alvarado had 11 kills, three blocks, and 10 digs and Pascarella added 10 kills and seven digs.  Pitt-Johnstown also got nine kills and three block assists from Courtney and seven kills, two blocks assists, and eight digs from Miller.
 
Beaz finished with a match-high 49 set assists, three kills, and 20 digs, while Erin Carmody tallied a team-high 24 digs, and Karin Ilagan chipped-in 15 digs for the Mountain Cats.
 
Baril's 15 kills and two blocks and Kiersten Schade's nine kills and two blocks help Seton Hill raise its record to 11-13 overall and 4-9 in the PSAC West.
 
Pitt-Johnstown travels to California (PA) on Saturday, before wrapping-up the 2021 regular season with conference matches at Indiana (PA) on Tuesday and at Clarion on November 13.