BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Penn State Altoona women's volleyball battled to another five-set win on Saturday, when the Lions surged past non-conference opponent Bridgewater College 3-2 inside Nininger Hall.

Penn State Altoona (4-1) won the first set of the match 25-19, but Bridgewater (3-5) took the next two sets by scores of 25-18 and 25-21. The Lions rallied to win the fourth set 25-19, then prevailed 15-10 in the fifth set to secure their fourth consecutive match win this season.

Kayla Moran (Boalsburg, PA/State College) put up a career-high 53 assists to lead all players in the match and tie for the ninth-most assists in a single match in Penn State Altoona women's volleyball history. The Lions' total of 59 assists as a team is tied for the sixth-most in a match in program history. Moran also contributed 14 digs, two block assists, and two kills.

Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) posted a match-high 20.0 points and 19 kills, and she also recorded 18 digs and one service ace. Lydia Mock (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) totaled a career-best, team-high 26 digs to go along with 18 kills and one ace.

Makenna Bauer (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) added 14 kills and four digs, Alexis Cannistraci (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) had seven kills, and Grace Shelley (York, PA/York Catholic) had two kills and two block assists.

Erin Lutz (State College, PA/State College) compiled 22 digs on the day while chipping in five assists.

As a team, the Lions finished the day with season-best marks in digs (87), kills (62), assists (59), and attack percentage (.191).

Penn State Altoona got off to a rocky start in the first set, falling behind 4-0. But the Lions eventually worked their way back to tie the score 12-12. Back-to-back kills by Bauer gave Penn State Altoona its first lead of the set, and more kills from Cannistraci, Bauer, and Mock, along with a Barnhart ace, increased the Lions' lead to 18-13. Four of Penn State Altoona's final seven points came courtesy of kills by Bauer, Mock, Barnhart, and Cannistraci.

In the second set, Penn State Altoona established a 10-6 lead before Bridgewater used a 7-0 run to erase it and jump on top. Two Barnhart kills and a pair of attack errors by the Eagles helped the Lions tie the score, 14-14. But Bridgewater scored the next two points on a kill and a block and never relinquished the lead for the remainder of the set. After Barnhart's kill cut the Bridgewater lead to 19-17, the home team proceeded to outscore the Lions 6-1 over the rest of the set to close it out by a seven-point margin.

Penn State Altoona found itself on the losing end of a tight set in the third. With the score knotted 17-17, Bridgewater scored three straight points on a kill and two blocks to grab the lead. Two kills from Mock and another from Shelley helped the Lions stay within striking distance, cutting the Eagles' lead to 22-20. But a service error and attack error by the Lions, along with an ace from the Eagles, helped Bridgewater win the set and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Lions responded by winning the fourth set by six points, pulling away in the early stages and maintaining a lead throughout. With the score tied 9-9, two Bridgewater attack errors and a Cannistraci kill put Penn State Altoona ahead for good in the set. After trailing by as many as six points, the Eagles narrowed their deficit to one point, 20-19, but the Lions ended the set on a 5-0 run that included a block by Moran and Shelley and an ace from Mock.

Penn State Altoona posted a .400 attack percentage during the fifth, when the Lions were able to hold a comfortable lead for most of the set. Kills from Mock, Bauer, Barnhart, and Cannistraci helped Penn State Altoona establish an 8-2 advantage. A 7-3 run by Bridgewater made it a two-point set, 11-9, but the Lions answered with back-to-back kills by Mock following a timeout. Barnhart recorded kills on two of the set's final three points, and Penn State Altoona notched its second straight five-set win of the young season.

Women's volleyball's next match is on the road next Thursday, September 23, when the Lions will travel to face Lycoming College in a match starting at 7:00 p.m.