by Casey Burinskas

PITTSBURGH – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team was on the road Wednesday night against Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference foe La Roche University, where the Lions clawed out a 3-1 win on Coach Scott Lang Court.

La Roche (5-14, 2-3 AMCC) pulled out a 25-23 win in the first set, but Penn State Altoona (12-11, 4-2 AMCC) responded by reeling off victories in the next three sets by scores of 25-15, 25-21, and 25-19.

Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) had a match-high 16.5 points for the Lions on 16 kills and a block assist, and she also totaled 24 digs. Maggie Brewer (NuMine, PA/West Shamokin) and Hannah Swank (Boswell, PA/Conemaugh Township) had 13.5 points apiece, with Brewer recording 13 kills and a block assist and Swank scoring 12 kills, one solo block, and one block assist.

Jayden Ulmer (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) had 12.5 points on eight kills, seven block assists, and one solo block. Kyla Campbell (Altoona, PA/Great Commission) chipped in six points on four kills, two block assists, and one solo block, and Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) added five points on six block assists and a pair of kills.

Julia Emel (Woodward, PA/Penns Valley) notched a match-high 26 assists while dealing two aces, and Marlo Mellish (Kittanning, PA/Armstrong) recorded 16 assists to go along with 13 digs.

Ella Hadley (Spring Mills, PA/Penns Valley) led all players in the match in digs with 27, and she also served two aces.

In the opening set, Altoona came out strong, showing solid balance between offense and defense. The Lions traded points early with the Redhawks, as kills from Swank, Brewer, and Ulmer helped keep the score tight. Altoona's defense then took charge with a block from Fussell and Ulmer to give the Lions their first lead, 6-5. A kill from Swank put Altoona ahead at 8-7, but a service ace and a quick offensive burst from the Redhawks pushed them back in front, as La Roche exploded for a 9-0 run to go up 16-8. Despite Altoona's effort to close the gap with kills from Simanski, Brewer, Ulmer, and Swank, La Roche's consistent playing and pressure allowed them to maintain control. The Lions battled to the end but couldn't overcome the Redhawks' big run, dropping the first set 25-23.

Early on in the second set, the Lions fell into a small hole as La Roche led on service aces and Altoona attack errors to go up 4-2. The Redhawks' offense applied pressure with several kills, forcing an Altoona timeout midway through the set. The Lions regrouped after the break, tightening their defense and finding momentum. Simanski and Brewer each connected on kills to close the gap, while Swank and Campbell added points at the net to make it 14-10. Two points later, Altoona caught on with Campbell, Simanski, and Brewer delivering kills as the Lions fought back with a 6-1 run, putting the score at 20-13. With a late service ace from Mellish and a final kill from Ulmer, Altoona secured a 25-15 victory in the second set.

The third set began with both teams trading points before the Lions started to pull away, thanks to kills by Simanski and Brewer, while Ulmer added another point off a set from Mellish as Altoona got a 7-5 advantage. The Lions' blocking duo of Ulmer and Fussell then denied several La Roche swings as Altoona pushed the score to 13-7, with Hadley dropping in an ace to extend the lead to six points. After a 6-1 La Roche run, Swank got the Lions' attack rolling again with a kill to make it 15-13. La Roche made a brief push late, closing the gap to 23-19 after several kills from the Redhawks' offense, but the Lions' offense remained composed. Swank sealed the victory with her fourth kill of the set off a perfect assist from Emel, giving the Lions a 25-21 win and a 2-1 match lead.

La Roche jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the fourth set, soaring on a few Altoona attack errors. However, Brewer helped start the Lions' comeback with a kill assisted by Hadley, later followed by a block from Ulmer that tied the set at 6-6. From there, Altoona began to gain control. Kills from Swank and Fussell helped the Lions push ahead 12-10, and Brewer continued her strong play at the net, recording multiple kills to extend the advantage to 16-13. La Roche made a brief push to tie the score at 16-16, but Altoona's defensive coverage and blocking proved too strong. Simanski came up late in the set, tallying two kills during a key run that stretched the lead to 21-18. A trio of La Roche attack errors set up match point, and Simanski delivered the final kill off an assist from Mellish to clinch the 25-19 win. The Lions' offense and strong teamwork sealed the fourth set and the match 3-1.

Next, the women's volleyball team will be back at home this Saturday, November 1 against AMCC opponent Penn State Behrend at 1 p.m.