Bluffton, Oh. -- After coming up short in a 5-set thriller to Bluffton on Friday night, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's volleyball team dropped two matches in straight sets to close their trip to the Sommer Center Spiketacular. The Panthers started the day with a 3-0 loss to Bethany, and then similarly lost to Baldwin Wallace in three.

In the match with Bethany, the Panthers were edged in the first two sets 23-25, before dropping the third 11-25. The Panthers were much more efficient in the match as they committed 6 attack errors, but struggled to return serves, as they allowed the Bisons to record 13 service aces. In the 2nd set, the Panthers recorded 15 kills and had a .438 hitting percentage, but were edged by Bethany who had 17 kills at a .441 clip.

Olivia Reese led the Panther attack with 8 kills. She also had 4 digs and half a block. Darby Deniston was just behind with 7 kills. Jenna finished the match with 6 kills, a .500 hitting percentage, and 2 half blocks. Tabitha Walker tallied 24 assists, while Stephanie Carson (12) and Kayla Maslowski (10) had double-digit digs.

The second match of the day saw the Panthers take on Baldwin Wallace. The Panthers started with another close loss in set one, dropping the opener 25-22. After losing set 2 25-13, the Panthers battled to stay alive in the final set, but ultimately fell 25-23.

The Panthers had another very efficient match, as they had a .292 hitting percentage, committing only 4 hitting errors. They hit .429 in the opener, and after a tough second set that saw them post a .083 hitting percentage, they closed with a .368 percent in the third.

Taylor King and Olivia Reese paced the Panthers with 5 kills each. King recorded her 5 on just 9 swings, giving her a .556 hitting percentage. Ryley Pago added 4 kills at a .571 hitting percentage. She also had 4 half blocks. Tabitha Walker finished with 21 assists and added 10 digs and 3 aces. Carson once again led the Panthers with 16 digs, while Kayla Maslowski was just behind her with 15 and Chloe Bellis added 11. 

After the tournament was complete, Olivia Reese was named to the All-Tournament Team. Over the three matches, she had 36 kills, 11 digs, and 4 half blocks. 

The losses move the Panthers to 1-7 on the season. They will return to KOA arena on Tuesday, September 13th as they will host Houghton looking to get back into the win column. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.