CALIFORNIA (Oct. 21) – The Vulcans completed a five-match homestand on Saturday afternoon by dropping a 3-1 decision (25-17, 25-27, 25-17, 25-20) to IUP at Hamer Hall in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest play.
 
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team falls to 12-10 overall behind a 6-5 record in league action. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks improve to 17-7 this season with an 8-3 mark in conference play. IUP moves into a tie for second place in the league standings, while Cal U sits three matches out of the top spot in the division.
 
Junior Ashley Leto (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) led the team with 14 kills on a .200 hitting percentage and junior Lois van Schaik (Naarden, Netherlands/St. Vituscollege) tallied 13 kills against the Crimson Hawks. Sophomore Samantha Raidt (Williamsport, Md./Williamsport) guided the offense with 28 assists and senior Taylor Solo (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) added 14 assists on Saturday.
 
Freshman Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) registered a team-high 24 digs and tallied three service aces, while Leto added 12 digs to collect her seventh kill/dig double-double of the season. Senior Halle Murdock (Shrewsbury, Pa./Susquehannock) posted three blocks in the loss and two other players notched a pair of blocks on Saturday.
 
The Crimson Hawks totaled 14 kills on a .250 clip to earn a 25-17 win in the first set. Cal U jumped out to an early 4-1 lead before IUP countered with three-unanswered points to tie the match. The Vulcans claimed at 13-9 advantage following three-consecutive points which forced the Crimson Hawks to call a timeout. IUP rallied off a 10-1 run to take a 19-14 lead before Cal U cut the deficit to 19-16 on back-to-back kills. The Crimson Hawks finished the set on a 6-1 run to seize the opening set, 25-17
 
Both teams posted 15 kills and six attacking errors for a .243 hitting percentage in the second set. IUP took an early 2-0 advantage before Cal U responded with a 7-3 run to take a 7-5 lead on an attacking error. The Crimson Hawks then won five of eight points to tie the contest at 10-10 before scoring four-consecutive points to reclaim the lead at 14-10. Cal U rallied off a 7-2 run to claim a 17-16 advantage on a kill by Leto. IUP later held a 22-20 lead before the Vulcans scored three-unanswered points to take a 23-22 lead. Cal U leveled the match after winning four of seven points to win the set, 27-25
 
In the third set, the Vulcans jumped out to a 7-4 lead before five-unanswered points by the Crimson Hawks. Cal U cut the deficit to 13-12 by winning five of eight points until IUP rallied off three-consecutive points. The Crimson Hawks then extended its lead to 21-14, forcing the Vulcans to call their final timeout of the set. IUP earned the win following a 4-3 run to take a 2-1 match lead, 25-17.
 
The Crimson Hawks completed the match victory with a 25-20 win after eight ties in the final set. Cal U won six of nine points to take an early lead before IUP erased the deficit with an 8-5 run to tie the set at 11-11 on a service error. The set remained close until the Crimson Hawks took a 19-17 lead on back-to-back kills, forcing a timeout. IUP sealed the victory with a 6-2 run to earn a 25-20 win.
 
The Vulcans return to PSAC Crossover action on Friday, Oct. 27, when they travel to face Pitt-Johnstown at 7 p.m.