CALIFORNIA (Oct. 10) – The Vulcans dropped their fifth-consecutive match after suffering a 3-1 loss (25-15, 14-25, 21-25, 17-25) to IUP in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play at the Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team falls to 6-13 overall with a 4-5 record in conference action. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks improve to 13-5 this year behind a 6-3 record in league play, as they defeated the Vulcans for the first time in recent program history. 

Senior Mary Lavery (La Plata, Md./La Plata) led the team with 10 kills and a .226 hitting percentage, while sophomore Ashley Leto (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) posted six kills and four others each recorded three kills. Junior Megan Litoborski (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) guided the offense with 15 assists, while classmate Kristen Scurpa (Sharpsville, Pa./Sharpsville) collected10 assists.

Leto paced the defense with 16 digs and Litoborski totaled 15 digs to record another assist/dig double-double. Lavery also led the team with three blocks, while senior Miranda Fouzie (Kingston, Ontario/Sydenham) and junior Danielle Hayes (Erie, Pa./McDowell) each posted two blocks.

Cal U won the opening six points of the contest to take an early 6-0 lead in the first set off of three attacking errors by IUP. After a timeout, the Crimson Hawks won four of the next six points to cut the deficit to 8-4. The teams traded runs of three points to make the set score 11-7 and then split the next six points to settle the score at 14-11. Cal U won six-consecutive points with all six coming from IUP errors before winning the set 25-15, as the Crimson Hawks commited 17 errors.

The second set started with IUP winning the initial three points until the Vulcans responded with three points to tie the set at 3-3. The Crimson Hawks took seven of the next nine points, including a run of four-straight, to create a 10-5 lead. IUP went on to win eight of the next 13 points, as the two teams traded chances to make the score 18-10. Following a Cal U timeout, the Crimson Hawks went on a four-point run to eventually win the set, 25-14.

In the third set, the teams traded the opening 13 points as the score stood at 7-6 in favor of the Vulcans. IUP went on to win four-straight points, as well as six of eight, to take a 12-9 lead. The Crimson Hawks won three of the next four points before Cal U rattled off six of the next seven. including four-consecutive points, to take a 17-16 lead. The teams exchanged the next several points until the Vulcans were able to take a 21-20 lead, but the Crimson Hawks responded with the final five points of the set to win 25-21.

The final set of the match started with Cal U winning the initial two points before IUP took the next four to take an early 4-2 lead. Both teams exchanged points before the Crimson Hawks posted a three-point rally to take a 10-7 lead. The teams would again exchange rallies before the Vulcans took four of five points and took the lead again at 14-13. IUP went on to take five of six points to take the lead for the third lead change of the set, 18-15. Cal U earned two more points the rest of the set off of errors, as the Crimson Hawks won the final set 25-17 and the match at 3-1.

The Vulcans return to action with another weekend of PSAC Crossover play, starting Friday, Oct. 16, at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.