The Pitt-Johnstown women's volleyball team opened PSAC West play in dominant fashion Friday night, sweeping California (PA) 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-15) at the Convocation Center in California. Caroline Knight and Ellie Zuro Cirino each led the way with 10 kills apiece to power the Mountain Cats offense. The win improves Pitt-Johnstown to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in PSAC play, while California (PA) falls to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
Knight added seven digs and a block assist, while Zuro Cirino contributed three service aces and a .500 hitting percentage. Kiara Harmon was efficient at the net as well, tallying eight kills on just 14 swings with no errors for a .571 hitting percentage, and led all players with six total blocks (two solo, four assists).
Setter Abigail Berry orchestrated the offense with 19 assists, while Arielis Valle Villegas added 18 assists of her own as the two split time running the attack. Avery Koontz anchored the back row with a match-high 20 digs, and Dannika Susko chipped in seven kills on just 11 attempts, hitting .636 on the night.
As a team, Pitt-Johnstown out-hit California (PA) .409 to .040 on the night, and outpaced the Vulcans in nearly every major statistical category. The Mountain Cats finished with 42 kills to California's 28, six aces to four, six team blocks to none, and 40 assists to 27. California (PA) held a narrow edge in digs, 37 to 36.
Pitt-Johnstown wasted no time setting the tone in the first set, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead behind kills from Knight and Zuro Cirino along with a service ace from Knight. California (PA) fought back to tie the set at 6-6, but the Mountain Cats answered with a strong push, riding kills from Knight and a pair of service aces from Zuro Cirino to build a 21-14 cushion. Pitt-Johnstown closed out the opening set 25-16.
The second set saw more of the same as the Mountain Cats offense continued to click. After a tight start, Pitt-Johnstown used a 9-0 run capped by an Ellie Zuro Cirino service ace to open up a commanding 12-4 lead. The Mountain Cats never let California (PA) climb back within single digits again, cruising to a 25-15 set win and a 2-0 match lead.
Pitt-Johnstown carried its momentum into the third set, opening with three straight points before Knight put down a kill to make it 4-0. California (PA) trimmed the deficit briefly, but the Mountain Cats answered every push, getting key kills from Harmon, Susko, and Zuro Cirino down the stretch. Pitt-Johnstown closed out the sweep with a 25-15 third-set win, sealing the 3-0 victory.
California (PA) was led offensively by Olivia Weiseman, who recorded seven kills and added three assists and four digs. Lindsey Scammell and Abby Tucker each chipped in four kills for the Vulcans. Molly Smiddy paced the California (PA) offense with 13 assists, and Tori Newton led the defense with three service aces and six digs. The loss drops California (PA) to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in PSAC play.
Pitt-Johnstown returns to PSAC action on September 25 when the Mountain Cats host Clarion at the Sports Center in Johnstown, PA. The match will mark Pitt-Johnstown's home debut, with the Mountain Cats also set to host Slippery Rock on September 26 to round out the opening PSAC home slate.
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