Lions Sweep Mounties for Fifth Straight Win
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team reeled off its fifth consecutive victory on Tuesday night, when the Lions grabbed a 3-0 win over Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference rival Mount Aloysius College in the Adler Arena.
The Lions (13-4, 5-2 AMCC) secured their fifth AMCC win of the season by handling Mount Aloysius (4-15, 3-4 AMCC) in three sets by scores of 25-15, 25-11, and 25-21.
Lydia Mock (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) led all players in the match with 12.5 points and 11 kills, and she also finished with 11 digs, one service ace, and one block. Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) posted 12.0 points on nine kills and a match-high three aces, and she also accumulated 11 digs.
Makenna Bauer (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) totaled seven kills, four digs, one ace, and one block assist. Alexis Cannistraci (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) recorded six kills on a .417 attack percentage to go along with two block assists. Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) had two kills and one solo block, and Grace Shelley (York, PA/York Catholic) netted one kill and one solo block.
Kayla Moran (Boalsburg, PA/State College) finished with a match-high 31 assists while also contributing nine digs, four kills, and two aces.
Erin Lutz (State College, PA/State College) led all players in the match in digs, totaling 22.
Penn State Altoona pulled away from Mount Aloysius midway through the first set. With the Lions leading 14-8, and following a timeout by the Mounties, Penn State Altoona scored six of the next nine points to widen its lead to nine. Bauer, Cannistraci, and Mock each tallied two kills during that run, as the Lions established a 20-11 advantage. Kills from Mock and Bauer got Penn State Altoona to 22 points, and the Lions picked up their final three points on errors by Mount Aloysius. Bauer, Cannistraci, and Mock combined for 14 kills during the first set, during which the Lions compiled a .306 attack percentage as a team.
The Lions made quick work of Mount Aloysius in the second set, helped by eight attack errors committed by the Mounties. Three Mock kills, as well as kills from Cannistraci and Moran and a Barnhart service ace, helped Penn State Altoona get out to a 9-2 lead. Bauer's ace several points later set the Lions' lead at 10 points, 14-4, and three straight Mount Aloysius attack errors helped put Penn State Altoona's lead at 11 points, 20-9. Up 20-11, the Lions ripped off five straight points to end the set on kills by Barnhart, Moran, and Myers, as well as two Barnhart aces.
Penn State Altoona fended off Mount Aloysius late in the third set to clinch the sweep. Trailing 20-19, two Barnhart kills and two Mountie attack errors propelled Penn State Altoona into the lead, 23-20. After the teams traded points on errors, another Barnhart kill finished things off to seal Penn State Altoona's match win.
Women's volleyball continues its string of home matches this Thursday, October 28, when the Lions return to non-conference play by hosting Wilson College in a match starting at 7:00 p.m. That match will be the team's annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night, and all fans are encouraged to show their support by wearing pink.
