Lualis Alvarado collected a match-high 19 kills, hit.354 for the match, and had 14 digs for Atlantic Region's fifth-ranked Pitt-Johnstown volleyball team, but Indiana (PA), ranked fourth in the region, charged back in the third and fourth sets for a four-set PSAC Western victory, Friday evening in the Sports Center.  The Mountain Cats, who came up just short of earning a spot in next week's PSAC Tournament, are 18-9 overall and 5-8 in the conference.
 
It was all Pitt-Johnstown in the opening set.  The Mountain Cats scored the first four points, then made it 14-6 on a Lualis Alvarado service ace.  Pitt-Johnstown never let IUP back in it and increased the lead to double digits at 19-9 on Caroline Knight's kill, before scoring the final three points, including kill, that closed out the 25-12 win.
 
In a much tighter second set, IUP climbed out to a 10-6 advantage on Delaney Concannon's kill and a Mountain Cat attack error.  Pitt-Johnstown kept it close and used a quick5-1 run, capped by a pair of Ellie Zuro kills to knot it at 21, but the Crimson Hawks scored four of the last five points and used kills from Lauren Valentic and Concannon to even the match with a 25-22 victory.
 
After Nyla Birch's kill put the Crimson Hawks on top, 12-8, to begin the third set, Pitt-Johnstown countered with a 16-5 run make it 24-17 on kills from Mallory Pinske and Adiamar Beaz.  The Mountain Cats needed one point to claim the set, but IUP stormed back with nine unanswered points to take a 2-sets-to-1 lead with a 26-24 win on a Rylee Brown kill.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shook off the tough third set loss and built a 7-3 lead in the fourth set.  IUP answered with an 11-4 run to go up 14-11 on a Mountain Cat attack error, but Pitt-Johnstown came right back.  Pinske's block put Pitt-Johnstown back in front 19-17 and Kiara Harmon service ace gave the Mountain Cats set point at 24-19.  However, the Crimson Hawks scored the final seven points to wrap up the match with another 26-24 win.
 
Along with Alvarado, Zuro had 11 kills, while Pinske added six kills, a solo block and five block assists for Pitt-Johnstown.  The Mountain Cats also got four kills and four blocks from Dannika Susko and three kills and four blocks from Natalie Lippincott.
 
Beaz led the way with 38 set assists, an ace and six digs, and Gabriella DeRenzo finished with a team-high 27 digs and three aces.  Karin Ilagan and Jessica Krug had 12 and 11 digs respectively for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
IUP, now 20-8 overall and 10-4 in the PSAC West, was led by Concannon's 14 kills.  Birch had 12 kills and two blocks, and Lauren Valentic tallied 11 kills and three blocks.
 
The Mountain Cats will host Clarion on Saturday at noon in the Sports Center to wrap up the regular season, before NCAA Regional bids are released on Nov. 25.