Grace Miller had a match-high 13 kills, while Lauren Gechter, Katelyn Courtney, and Lualis Alvarado all had nine kills to lead Pitt-Johnstown to its ninth straight with a four-set PSAC victory over Mercyhurst in Saturday's 2021 home-opener in the Sports Center.  The Mountain Cats are 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC West.
 
After dropping the first set 25-23, Pitt-Johnstown responded with a pair of 25-21 wins and a 25-13 victory to secure the match.
 
Paige Miller's kill put Mercyhurst in front 11-7 in the opening set, and the Lakers never trailed again.  Kills from Erin Carmody and Pascarella cut the Pitt-Johnstown deficit to 20-19, but Mercyhurst was able to rebuild the lead to three, before holding off the Mountain Cats, 25-23, on Beth Brady's kill.
 
In the second set, a kill from Madison Kasper gave the Lakers a 14-11 lead, but a 6-2 Pitt-Johnstown run, capped by kills from Gechter and Pascarella gave the lead back to the Mountain Cats at 17-16.  Mercyhurst pushed it back out to a two-point lead, but the Mountain Cats took advantage of four Lakers' attack errors and scored six straight points to close out the 25-21 win and even the match at one set apiece.
 
Pitt-Johnstown ran out to a 9-4 third set lead on Miller's kill, before a Alvarado kill and a Mercyhust attack error increased it to 15-7.  Another kill from Alvarado got the lead out to double digits, and the Mountain Cats were able to take a 2-sets-to-1 advantage with another 25-21 win.
 
It was all Mountain Cats in the fourth set.  Back-to-back kills from Miller and one from Courtney gave Pitt-Johnstown a commanding 15-4 lead to start, and the Mountain Cats cruised to a 25-13 victory to close out the match.
 
Along with her 13 kills, Miller collected 11 digs, and Alvarado had nine kills and 16 digs to lead the Mountain Cats.  Courtney added nine kills and three blocks, while Gechter had nine kills and two blocks.  Pitt-Johnstown also go seven kills Pascarella.
 
Adiamar finished with a match-high 44 set assists, 11 digs, and three service aces, while Erin Carmody and Karin Ilagan tallied 18 and 14 digs, respectively for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Mercyhurst, which fell to 4-9 overall and 0-2 in the PSAC West, was led by Kasper's 12 kills and Brady's 10 kills, three blocks, and 18 digs.
 
Pitt-Johnstown travels to PSAC West matches at Gannon on Friday and Edinboro on Saturday, before hosting conference matches in the Sports Center against California (PA) on October 8 and Seton Hill on October 9.