Lualis Alvarado collected a match-high 14 kills, and Brooke Pelloni added 10 kills to help Pitt-Johnstown avenge an early loss to Clarion with a 25-14, 26-24, 25-15 PSAC Western Division sweep, Friday evening in the Sports Center.  The Mountain Cats, 17-7 overall and 7-4 in conference-play, are now just one game out of second-place in the Western Division standings.
 
Neither team was able to build any momentum in the first set, until the Mountain Cats took full control midway through.  After a Cassidy Snider kill got Clarion to within a point at 13-12, Pitt-Johnstown went on a 10-0 behind three kills from Mallory Pinske to build a 23-13 advantage, before back-to back kills from Alvarado gave the Mountain Cats a 25-14 victory.
 
In set two, a Charlie Allison and London Fuller block put the Golden Eagles on top 13-9, but Pitt-Johnstown responded again.  This time the Mountain Cats outscored Clarion 13-6 to build a 22-19 lead on Alvarado's kill.  Pitt-Johnstown pushed it out to 24-22, before clarion fended off a pair of set points to knot it at 24 on Finley Kearney's kill.  However, Pelloni's kill put Pitt Johnstown back in front and Pinske followed with a kill of her own to give the Mountain Cats a 26-24 win and a two-sets-to-none lead.
 
Momentum remained on the side of the Mountain Cats in the third set.  Natalie Lippincott and Pinske's block helped Pitt-Johnstown jump out to a quick 7-0 lead.  Clarion was able to narrow the gap to 14-12, but the Mountain Cats went on to outscore the Golden Eagles, 11-3, the rest of the way to complete the sweep with a 25-14 victory.  Eight consecutive points, capped by Alvarado's kills and a Clarion attack error extended it to 22-13, and Journey Welling's kill closed it out.
 
Along with her 14 kills, Alvarado added 16 digs, three block assists, and a service ace to lead the Mountain Cats.  Pinske finished with nine kills and six block assists, and Lippincott chipped-in six kills and three block assists.
 
Adiamar Beaz' tallied a match-high 40 set assists and five digs, while Gabi DeRenzi had a match-high 17 digs and Jessic Krug had 10 kills for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Snider's dozen kills and 16 digs, and Kearney's seven kills and two blocks paced the Golden Eagles.
 
Clarion, which dropped its second straight match, slipped to 19-5 overall and 9-3 in the PSAC West.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will host a PSAC West match against Indiana (PA) on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Sports Center, before celebrating Senior Weekend with home conference matches against Gannon on Nov. 3 and Mercyhurst on Nov. 4.