Lualis Alvarado collected a match-high 15 kills and 16 digs, and freshman Brooke Pelloni added 12 kills to help Pitt-Johnstown outlast Shaw (NC) in five sets in Friday's second round of the Frostburg State Tournament in Frostburg, MD.  The Mountain Cats are 2-0 to begin the season.
 
The Lady Bears took the first and third sets by the scores of 25-23 and 25-22, and Pitt-Johnstown claimed the second and fourth sets with a pair of 25-19 wins.  However, a kill by Alvarado in the final set gave the Mountain Cats the win, 15-12.
 
Alvarado and Pelloni led a group of five Mountain Cats who had eight or more kills.  Natalie Lippincott had 10 kills and six digs, while Dannika Susko added nine kills, and Mallory Pinske finished with eight kills and six digs.
 
Pitt-Johnstown got match-highs of 45 set assists and 18 digs from Adiamar Beaz, and 17 kills and five assists from Gabi DeRenzo.  Jessica Krug and Karin Ilagan tallied 14 and 12 kills, respectively for the Mountain Cats.
 
Shaw, which slipped to 1-1, was led by Lillian Carlson's 13 kills and 16 digs and Maelie Chupin's eight kills and 15 digs.
 
Pitt-Johnstown closes out the Frostburg State Tournament with matches against Walsh (OH) and the hosts on Saturday, before traveling to the West Chester Tournament next weekend.  The Mountain Cats are scheduled to make their 2023 home debuts with a PSAC match against Seton Hill on Sept. 22.