CLARION, Pa. (Oct. 12) – Junior Rachel Priore (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) posted 20 kills on a .340 hitting percentage on Friday night, as the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team claimed a 3-1 victory (21-25, 25-15, 25-23, 25-17) at Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest play.
 
With the win, the Vulcans improve to 14-8 this season behind a 7-3 record in league action and remain tied for first place in the Southwest Division standings. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles fall to 15-8 overall with a 6-4 mark in conference play.
 
Priore led all players in kills and recorded her third match this season with at least 20 kills. Freshmen Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) notched her ninth kill/dig double-double of the season with 13 kills and 14 digs. She also totaled a season-high seven service aces and added four assists. Seniors Lois van Schaik (Naarden, Netherlands/St. Vituscollege) and Tina Bellhy (McDonald,Pa./Fort Cherry) recorded nine and six kills, respectively. Freshmen Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) guided the offense with 37 assists versus the Golden Eagles.
 
The defensive effort was led by sophomore Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) with 19 digs, while Moehring also tallied double-digit digs. Freshman Shelby Alloway (Dunkirk, Ohio/Hardin Northern) and Benson both recorded eight digs on Friday. Bellhy and van Schaik controlled the net with four and three blocks, respectively.
 
In the first set, the Golden Eagles opened up an early 6-2 advantage before forcing a Vulcan timeout. Clarion remained ahead with Cal U trimming the deficit to 14-10 on a kill by Priore. Both teams exchanged the next seven points, as the Golden Eagles maintained an 18-13 lead midway through the set. The Vulcans responded with three-straight points, including a kill from Priore, to cut the deficit to 18-16. Following a Clarion timeout, both teams traded the next four points before Cal U closed the gap to 23-21. The Golden Eagles then scored back-to-back points to claim the first set, 25-21.
 
The Vulcans posted a .320 hitting percentage with 10 kills, as Cal U took the second set by a 25-15 count. The teams exchanged the initial seven points of the set before the Vulcans scored back-to-back points to take a 6-3 advantage. Following a Cal U timeout, the Golden Eagles cut the lead to 8-6 before five-unanswered points from the Vulcans put them ahead, 13-6. Cal U continued to hold a commanding lead and extended its advantage on back-to-back kills from van Schaik and Benson, 18-11. Clarion closed the gap to 19-15 before the Vulcans registered five-straight points, including three service aces from Moehring, to take the second set, 25-15.
 
The Golden Eagles established a 6-2 lead in the third set before the Vulcans were forced to use a timeout. Clarion built an 11-5 advantage after Cal U committed three-consecutive attacking errors. The Vulcans scored four of the next six points to trim the deficit to 13-9 and force a timeout by the Golden Eagles. Cal U went on a 6-4 run to close the gap to 17-15 before Clarion scored three of the next five points to take a 20-17 lead. The Vulcans countered with a 7-1 run to take 24-21 advantage after the Golden Eagles totaled four attacking errors. Clarion responded with back-to-back points before Cal U secured the third set on a kill from Priore, 25-23
 
The Vulcans completed the match victory by a 25-17 count after totaling 13 kills in the fourth set. Cal U established an 8-5 lead before recording six of the next eight points to take a 14-7 advantage. The Vulcans went on a 5-2 run to take a commanding 19-9 lead before the Golden Eagles countered by scoring seven of the next nine points to cut the deficit to 21-16. Following a Cal U timeout, the Vulcans notched a 4-1 run to claim the match victory by a 25-17 margin in the fourth set.
 
Cal U returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 13, as it travels to face IUP in PSAC Southwest play at 1 p.m.