Pitt-Johnstown could not overcome IUP late in three consecutive sets in a 3-0 (25-27, 23-25, 21-25) loss on Friday night at the Sports Center.

The Mountain Cats slipped to 13-7 (4-4 PSAC) after being outhit by a 44-27 margin.

Caroline Knight paced the attack with a team-high 12 kills and nine digs. Ellie Zuro Cirino chipped in five kills, while Dannika Susko and Journey Welling each had three apiece on 10 total chances. Abby Berry recorded 18 assists and tied Jessica Krug for a team-high 10 digs.

Pitt-Johnstown led 4-3 early on in the opening set before rattling off five straight points that included two kills from Knight to take a 9-3 advantage.

An extended run from IUP put the Mountain Cats in a 20-16 hole, but they scored four of the next six to close within 22-20. Down 24-20, kills by Welling and Knight highlighted a 5-0 run that put Pitt-Johnstown up 25-24. Three straight kills from IUP, however, sealed the set.

It was much of the same in the second set when Zuro smacked a kill to spark a 3-0 run that allowed the Mountain Cats to tie it at 21-all. Lippincott and Knight each notched kills to keep the set alive, but it wasn't enough to stave off a 2-0 deficit.

The Mountain Cats never led in the final set. Facing a 22-19 deficit, Knight hammered a kill and Berry recorded Pitt-Johnstown's sixth ace to cut the deficit to one. But IUP, which improved to 15-5 (7-3 PSAC) received two final kills from Jessica Neiman to win it.

Pitt-Johnstown will have a week off before hosting Gannon at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31 in the Sports Center.