Pitt-Johnstown never found much traction against an experienced IUP attack in a 3-0 setback on Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center. Set scores were 15-25, 17-25, 21-25.

Lu Alvarado had a team-high nine kills, but the Mountain Cats dropped the season-series to the Crimson Hawks and slipped to 17-8 overall (7-5 PSAC). 

Natalie Lippincott recorded five kills and four digs. Brooke Pelloni chipped in four kills while Mallory Pinske provided three kills and a team-high three blocks.

Adiamar Beaz dished out 23 assists. Gabi DeRenzo notched a match-high 13 digs.

The Mountain Cats' best chance to prolong the match came in the third set. After falling behind by as many as six at 15-9, they capped a 10-5 rally with back-to-back kills from Alvarado and Dannika Susko to trim the deficit to 20-19.

But the Crimson Hawks rattled off four of the next five points and created a match-point opportunity on Simay Memisoglu's kill that made it 24-20. Lauren Valentic closed it out with a kill to help IUP improve to 19-7 overall (9-3 PSAC).

After the Mountain Cats closed to within 11-9 in the first set, the Crimson Hawks immediately responded with a 9-2 run that put them 20-11, essentially cementing a 1-0 advantage.

An attack error combined with a kill from Lippincott gave Pitt-Johnstown a 14-12 lead in the second frame. But it ended up being short-lived as IUP went on a backbreaking 10-0 spurt that ended with a kill by Caroline Walsh to make it 22-14.

With four matches remaining in the regular-season, the Mountain Cats hold the fourth spot in the PSAC West and host division-leading Gannon on Friday at 6 p.m.