CALIFORNIA (Oct. 14) – The Vulcans continued their homestand on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 3-0 loss (25-15, 25-23, 25-19) to Gannon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play at the Convocation Center.
 
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team drops to 12-8 overall behind a 6-3 mark in league action. Meanwhile, the Lady Knights improve to 18-3 and extend their winning streak to eight matches, while remaining in sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division with an 8-1 record.
 
Senior Ashley Leto (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and junior Lois van Schaik (Naarden, Netherlands/St. Vituscollege) both registered nine kills against Gannon, while sophomore Rachel Priore (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) tallied seven kills. Junior Tina Bellhy (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) collected six kills on a .235 hitting percentage and sophomore Samantha Raidt (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) guided the offense with 29 assists in the contest.
 
Cal U featured a balanced defense with four players registering double-digit digs versus the Lady Knights. Freshman Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) recorded a team-high 18 digs, while senior Taylor Solo (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) and Raidt both notched 17 digs on Saturday. Leto tallied 14 digs in the match and a pair of players posted three blocks in the loss.
 
In the first set, the Vulcans committed 11 attack errors while falling 25-15 in the opening set. Gannon took an early 6-4 lead before the Cal U rallied off three-consecutive points to tie the set on a solo block by Leto. The Lady Knights would win six of the next nine points to stretch the lead to 12-7 before the Vulcans called a timeout. Gannon mounted a 6-3 run before Cal U won four of six points to trim the deficit to 19-14. The Lady Knights then countered with a 6-1 run to win the set on back-to-back attacking errors by the Vulcans, 25-15.
 
Despite 17 kills in the second set, Cal U dropped a 25-23 score allowing Gannon to take a 2-0 lead. The teams traded the opening six points before the Lady Knights won six of the next eight points to take a 9-5 lead. Following a timeout, the Vulcans went on a 9-6 run to cut the deficit to 15-14 before Gannon extended its lead by winning four of six points. Cal U tied the match at 22-22 following a 6-3 rally before the Lady Knights claimed a kill and two attacking errors by the home side to finish with a 25-23 win.
 
Gannon posted 15 kills and only five attacking errors in the third set to complete the sweep with a 25-19 victory. The teams swapped the initial six points of the set before the Lady Knights rallied off three-consecutive points to take a 6-3 lead. Gannon then extended its lead to 12-6 and forced the Vulcans to call a timeout. The Lady Knights raced out to 24-13 lead following the timeout, mounting a 12-6 run before Cal U would score six-unanswered to trim the lead to 24-19. Gannon sealed the win on kill to earn a 25-19 win.
 
The Vulcans return to action Friday, Oct. 20, when they host Clarion in PSAC Southwest play at 7 p.m.