Pitt-Johnstown played without the majority of its regulars when it fell in four sets (13-25, 25-23, 17-25, 20-25) to Point Park in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday evening in downtown Pittsburgh.

Christen Maloney registered a team-high nine kills for the Mountain Cats, who dropped to 10-5 overall (1-2 PSAC). Journey Welling had eight kills, while Kaley Kugler added six.

Liredys Casiano and Isabella Gomez each dished out 13 assists. Jessica Krug compiled a match-high 13 digs.

The Pioneers never looked back after scoring 15 of the first 19 points of the match to handily take the first set.

There was much more balance offensively for Pitt-Johnstown in the second set, where neither team gained more than a four-point advantage. Tied at 13-all, the Mountain Cats benefitted from three straight attack errors to go up 16-13.

Another attack error put Pitt-Johnstown up 20-16 before Point Park's Eden McElhaney cut it to 21-19 with a kill. The Pioneers then scratched within one at 24-23 before a kill by Kugler coming out of a timeout put the set away and evened the match at 1-apiece.

Dannika Susko's kill in the early stages of the third set brought Pitt-Johnstown within one at 10-9. But the Pioneers punctuated a 10-5 rally with another kill from McElhaney to go on top 20-14 and secure the set from there.

The Mountain Cats competed to the bitter end in the fourth frame when a kill from Maloney and an attack error trimmed the Pioneers' advantage to 21-20. Point Park prevented a tie-breaking fifth set by scoring the final four points capped off by a kill from Marcella Erichsen.

Pitt-Johnstown continues PSAC play when it visits Mercyhurst on Friday night at 6 p.m. It'll be a quick turnaround for the Mountain Cats with a trip to Gannon on deck for Saturday at 12 p.m. before traveling back to Edinboro to finish a match that was suspended on Sept. 23 due to a medical emergency. Pitt-Johnstown leads the match 2-0, but will begin the restart facing a 14-9 deficit in the third set.