by Christina Roukas

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Penn State Altoona women's volleyball suffered a bitter loss against non-conference opponent Messiah University on Friday evening in Hitchcock Arena, losing 3-0 (27-25, 26-24, 25-15).

The Lions (2-9) were close to winning the first and second sets, but Messiah (14-2) came from behind to win both. Penn State Altoona fell short in the third set, which the Falcons won by 10 points.

Kayla Moran (Boalsburg, PA/State College) started the first set with an ace, putting the Lions on the board. Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) scored a kill to tie the set, 5-5, followed by an ace from Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) to break the tie. Penn State Altoona played a strong first set, finding the right spots to score. Myers' hit extended the Lions' lead to 11-8, and Lacee Barnhart's (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) kill made it 21-17. After Messiah came back to take a one-point lead, a duo block from Myers and Fussell tied the score 24-24. However, Messiah ultimately won the set 27-25.

In the second set, Myers scored an ace to tie the score, 4-4, and her middle hit trimmed a three-point Messiah lead to two, 10-8. Lydia Mock's (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) cross-court kill tied the set at 11-11, followed by an ace from Barnhart to give Penn State Altoona the lead. Barnhart increased the Lions' lead with another ace, making it 14-11 and prompting a Messiah timeout. Kills by Fussell and Mock later put Penn State Altoona's lead at 22-18, and Mock's hit for a kill got the Lions to set point, 24-20. But Messiah came back with a six-point run to take the second set, 26-24. 

In the third set, Messiah took a seven-point lead against Penn State Altoona, 12-5. Fussell's hit off the Messiah block cut the Messiah lead to 15-9, followed by a tip over by Barnhart to lower the deficit to five, 15-10. Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) scored a late kill to make it 23-14, but Messiah won the third set 25-15.

Barnhart and Fussell both led the Lions with 10 points and eight kills, with Barnhart also leading the team with 18 digs and Fussell finishing with a team-best two block assists and one solo block.

Mock and Myers contributed eight points each. Mock also had 14 digs and seven kills, and Myers had five kills, three digs, and two block assists.

Moran had the leading number of assists for Penn State Altoona with 24, and she also recorded 10 digs.

Erin Lutz (State College, PA/State College) notched seven digs, surpassing the 500-dig mark for her Penn State Altoona career.

Next, the Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team continues its season on the road, heading to Harrisburg to play against non-conference opponent Penn State Harrisburg on Thursday, October 6. The match is set to start at 7:00 p.m.