Women’s Volleyball’s Rally Falls Short in 3-2 Loss
by Christina Roukas
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team held its first home match of the season Wednesday night in the Adler Arena, losing a five-set match to non-conference opponent Geneva College.
The Lions (0-5) had a slow start in the first two sets, which they lost 25-18 and 25-19, but made a comeback by winning the next two sets by scores of 25-21 and 29-27. However, the Golden Tornadoes (3-2) took the fifth set 15-8 to win the match 3-2.
Geneva started the first set on a 6-0 run before a service error and a Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) block put the Lions on the board, 6-2. But Geneva took a healthy lead against the Lions, going up 14-2. Myers and Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) teamed up on a block to score the next point, and Myers' hit through a Geneva block attempt made it 17-4. Several points later, Penn State Altoona won a long rally to lower their deficit to ten, 19-9. Lydia Mock (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) scored a kill to cut the visitors' lead to eight, 23-15, and Myers' ace made it a six-point difference, 24-18. But Geneva scored the next point and won the first set.
After the second set started in a 1-1 tie, Geneva went on a six-point streak before it was broken by Fussell's swipe. Another Fussell kill lowered the Lions' deficit to four, 8-4, but Geneva went on to take a ten-point lead, 20-10. Lacee Barnhart's (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) hit off a block provided the set's next point for Penn State Altoona, and a Fussell solo block made it 21-12. Taylor Kilmer (Julian, PA/Bald Eagle) scored on a tip to bring the Lions to within seven, 23-16, but Geneva ultimately pulled out a 25-19 win in the set.
The Lions scored the first point of the third set when Barnhart scored a kill, then a kill by Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) made it 2-0. Erin Lutz (State College, PA/State College) scored an ace to put Penn State Altoona up 6-5, and Mock's kill increased the lead to 8-6. Mock continued to heat up, recording another kill to put the home team ahead 10-9. Geneva surged ahead 18-16, but Myers' tip cut the visitors' lead to one. Later, Myers tied the game 20-20 with a kill, and Fussell and Port combined for a block to put the Lions one point away from winning the set, 24-21. At set point, a Geneva attack error provided the clincher for Penn State Altoona.
After Geneva started the fourth set with three straight points, Mock had three kills over the next five points to help tie the score 4-4. Fussell's hit knotted the score again, 5-5, and Mock swung off the block to take the lead back for her team, 6-5. Barnhart's kill down the line put Penn State Altoona ahead 11-9, but Geneva rallied to take a 19-17 advantage later in the set. The Lions hustled to get back into the lead, and Barnhart hit through a block to give Penn State Altoona a 24-22 advantage. Geneva reclaimed the lead 25-24, and the set became a neck-and-neck affair the rest of the way. Barnhart's tip over the net tied the score 25-25, and after Geneva won the next point, Mock's kill tied the game once again. The Golden Tornadoes got back in front by one, but Mock's tip tied things up, 27-27. Another kill by Mock put the Lions in the lead, and a Geneva attack error closed out the set with a Penn State Altoona 29-27 win.
Geneva started the fifth set with a 6-0 lead. Barnhart scored a kill to put Penn State Altoona on the board, and she followed that with a hit through a block to make it 6-2. After Geneva increased its lead to seven, 12-5, Myers' tip and Barnhart's kill down the line helped trim the difference to six, 14-8. But Geneva got a kill on match point, winning the final set 15-8 and claiming victory in the match.
Mock led the Lions with 17 points on 17 kills to go along with 18 digs, and Barnhart had 13 points on 13 kills with a match-high 28 digs. Myers totaled 9.5 points with six kills, two service aces, one solo block, and one block assist, and Fussell had nine points on seven kills, two block assists, and one solo block.
Kayla Moran (Boalsburg, PA/State College) led all players in the match with 40 assists while adding seven digs.
Lutz finished with 19 digs while scoring a pair of service aces. Allie Godwin (Pittsburgh, PA/West Allegheny) totaled 12 digs.
The Lions' next match is scheduled for this Friday, September 9, when the team will travel to play at non-conference opponent Penn College. The match will start at 7:00 p.m.
