Lions Battle Past Pioneers in Senior Day Five-Setter
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team recognized its senior players, then pulled out a 3-2 victory over Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Alfred State College on Saturday afternoon in the Adler Arena.
The Lions held a pre-match Senior Day ceremony for Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) and Jadeyn Price (Altoona, PA/Altoona), celebrating their four-year careers with the women's volleyball program.
After that, Penn State Altoona (9-11, 1-2 AMCC) picked up its first conference win of the season in a back-and-forth five-setter. The Lions won the opening set by a commanding 25-13 decision, but Alfred State (10-10, 0-3 AMCC) awoke to post 25-16 and 25-17 victories in the next two sets. But Penn State Altoona nabbed a 25-21 win in the fourth set, then took the fifth by a 15-10 margin to defeat the Pioneers.
Maggie Brewer (NuMine, PA/West Shamokin) had a team-high 15 points for Penn State Altoona, recording 13 kills, two block assists, and one solo block. Hannah Swank (Boswell, PA/Conemaugh Township) scored 13 points on 13 kills, and she also led the Lions in digs with 12. Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) added 10 points on nine kills and a service ace.
Kyla Campbell (Altoona, PA/Great Commission) chipped in eight points on four kills, a team-high three aces, and two block assists, and Jayden Ulmer (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) had six points on five kills and a pair of block assists.
Julia Emel (Woodward, PA/Penns Valley) led the team in assists with 23, and Marlo Mellish (Kittanning, PA/Armstrong) recorded 14 assists.
Penn State Altoona got on roll to begin the first set, scoring six straight points that included two kills from Swank and one by Brewer. The Lions capitalized on Alfred State errors to grow their lead, and a Campbell ace helped the home team go up by 10 points, 18-8. Two Pioneer attack errors and Fussell kill made it 21-11, and Swank scored a kill on three of Penn State Altoona's final four points to end the set at 25-13.
Penn State Altoona started the second set with a 5-3 lead, getting two Simanski kills and a Campbell kill and ace along the way. However, Alfred State embarked on a 7-1 run to jump into the lead, 10-6, and the Pioneers steadily boosted their advantage over the remainder of the set to win it 25-16.
Alfred State carried its momentum into the third set, when the Pioneers never trailed. The visitors worked their way out to a 14-8 lead, before Penn State Altoona trimmed its deficit to one on a 7-2 run that included kills from Brewer and Ulmer and a Mellish service ace. But Alfred State held the lead and closed the set by outscoring the Lions 9-2 to win it 25-17.
The Lions established a six-point lead, 14-8, to begin the fourth set, before Alfred State charged back to get in front. The Pioneers held a 21-20 lead late in the set, but Penn State Altoona rallied to score five straight points to stay alive in the match. An Alfred State service error evened the score at 21-21, before a Brewer solo block gave Penn State Altoona the lead. Three more Pioneer attack errors followed that, and the Lions tied the match at 2-2 with a 25-21 victory in the fourth.
Penn State Altoona started the fifth set with kills by Campbell and Brewer, en route to a 5-2 advantage. Alfred State answered with a 6-2 run to seize an 8-7 lead, and the teams traded points on the way to a 10-10 tie. But the Lions again reeled off five straight points to close a set, scoring five in a row to end the match in their favor. Penn State Altoona got two kills from Brewer and a pair of Alfred State attack errors to get to set point, and a Simanski kill put the finishing touches on the victory, ending the set at 15-10.
Next up, Penn State Altoona women's volleyball plays another home match on Tuesday, October 21 at 7 p.m., when the Lions will welcome AMCC opponent Carlow University to Adler. That match is also Penn State Altoona's annual Dig Pink Night in support of raising breast cancer awareness.
