JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — With its postseason hopes hanging in the balance, Pitt-Johnstown delivered on Senior Day with a convincing three-set sweep (25-19, 25-16, 26-24) over California on Saturday afternoon at the Sports Center.
The Mountain Cats locked up the No. 3 seed in the Western Division ahead of the upcoming PSAC Tournament after finishing the regular-season at 16-10 (7-7 PSAC). The Mountain Cats will visit East No. 2 seed Shippensburg for a quarterfinal round match set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Before the match, seniors Jessica Krug, Natalie Lippincott, Mallory Pinske, Isabella Gomez and Liredys Casiano were recognized for their time and dedication to the program.
Junior Ellie Zuro Cirino notched a match-high 18 kills and matched a season-high with 16 digs. Caroline Knight added 16 kills. Lippincott provided eight kills and tied a team-high with four blocks.
Dannika Susko had six kills and four blocks. Abby Berry dished out 45 assists just one night after tallying a career-high 51. Jessica Krug totaled a match-high 24 digs.
Pitt-Johnstown set the tone when Zuro smacked two kills that spearheaded a 4-0 run to begin the first set.
Susko detonated on a ball to put the Mountain Cats in firm control with a 14-7 edge. Knight contributed three kills, and Lippincott and Zuro each had two from that point on to seal it.
After California scored the first point of the second set, Pitt-Johnstown rattled off nine straight points to take a 9-1 lead that was never in jeopardy down the stretch. Knight had four kills and Zuro added four in a set where the Mountain cats led by as many as nine.
It took a late comeback for Pitt-Johnstown to polish off the sweep. Down 24-21, Zuro recorded two kills and Berry perfectly placed two of her match-high three service aces as part of a match-winning 5-0 flurry that ended with a California attack error.
Sarah Stephenson and Olivia Weiseman each had 10 kills for the Vulcans, who finished the regular-season at 19-11 (6-8 PSAC).
Pitt-Johnstown will have a chance for redemption against Shippensburg after falling to the Raiders in a 3-1 setback on Sept. 13 in the Frostburg State University Tournament.
