INDIANA, Pa. (Sept. 26) – Behind kill/dig double-doubles by senior Laurel Miller (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) and freshman Ashley Leto (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play with a 3-2 victory (25-21, 23-25, 25-13, 26-28, 15-9) at IUP on Friday night.

With the win, the Vulcans improve to 9-5 overall and 3-2 in league play. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks fall to 6-6 this season with a 2-3 mark in conference action.

Miller recorded her seventh kill/dig double-double this season in the victory. She finished with 19 kills on 52 attempts for a .269 hitting percentage and added 16 digs. Leto established season highs on Friday with 14 kills and 20 digs. Sophomore Danielle Hayes (Erie, Pa./McDowell) tallied 12 kills and junior Mary Lavery (La Plata, Md./La Plata) posted nine kills against IUP.

Sophomore Megan Litoborski (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) directed the offense with a career-high 52 assists and added 10 digs for her second assist/dig double-double of the year. Classmate Cheyenne Rose (Lancaster, Ohio/Harvest Preparatory) paced the defense with a career-high 27 digs, while senior Taylor Melidona (Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit) finished with 15 digs. Junior Miranda Fouzie (Kingston, Ontario/Sydenham) controlled the net with a match-high nine blocks, including five solo.

In the opening set, the Crimson Hawks opened play with a 6-1 run before the Vulcans tied the score by winning five-straight points. IUP countered by claiming eight-consecutive points to take a 14-6 lead before the teams traded runs of three-straight points with the Crimson Hawks taking a 17-9 lead. After the teams swapped points, the Vulcans seized control of the set with a 15-3 run.

After dropping the second set, the Vulcans mounted a 6-1 rally early in the third set to take a 9-3 lead. Cal U later registered an 11-3 run to take a 20-7 lead after winning six-straight points. The Crimson Hawks countered by winning six of the next eight points before the Vulcans closed the set by winning the next three points.

IUP rallied to tie the match score in the fourth set after winning nine of 11 points late in the set. After the Crimson Hawks took a 23-22 lead, the teams traded the next seven points before IUP won back-to-back points.

In the fifth set, the Vulcans raced out to a 6-1 lead and later won three-straight points to take a 10-3 lead. IUP countered by winning four-straight points before Cal U answered with four-consecutive points to take a 14-7 lead before Litoborski later closed the match with a kill.

Cal U continues its weekend road trip tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 27, when it travels to Clarion, the last overall undefeated team in the PSAC, at 1 p.m.