JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (Sept. 21) – Junior Rachel Priore (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) registered a kill/dig double-double with 20 kills and 11 digs, as the Vulcans rallied to secure a 3-2 victory (25-14, 21-25, 20-25, 27-25, 15-11) at defending-league champion Pitt-Johnstown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play on Friday night.
 
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team improves to 10-5 overall with a 3-0 mark in league action. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats fall to 5-8 this season behind a 1-2 record in conference play.
 
Priore paced the team in kills on a .306 hitting percentage and registered double-digit digs against the Mountain Cats. She has tallied three kill/dig double-doubles this season, which matches her amount from last year. Freshman Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) also recorded a kill/dig double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs, her sixth of the season, while posting a career-high six service aces. Senior Lois van Schaik (Naarden, Netherlands/St. Vituscollege) finished with 12 kills in the five-set match. Freshman Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) guided the offense with a career-high 50 assists and added nine digs.

Freshman Shelby Alloway (Dunkirk, Ohio/Hardin Northern) led the defensive effort with 17 digs, while Priore and Moehring both tallied double-digit digs. The Vulcans notched 13 service aces in the contest led by Moehring and Alloway added three aces in the victory. van Schaik and senior Emily Bucklin (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) controlled the net with four blocks each on Friday.
 
Cal U took an early 4-2 advantage in the first set before scoring four-unanswered points to force a Pitt-Johnstown timeout, 8-2. The Mountain Cats rallied back, winning three of the next four points before the Vulcans managed a short 3-0 run to take a 13-6 lead. Pitt-Johnstown battled back once again, but Cal U scored five of the next seven points to extend the advantage, 18-10. The Mountain Cats countered to trim the deficit to 20-14 before the Vulcans tallied five-straight points, including three service aces from Moehring, to claim the first set 25-14.
 
Each team registered at least a .200 hitting percentage in the second set, as Pitt-Johnstown secured the second set, 25-21. Both teams exchanged points early on in the set before the Mountain Cats claimed a 10-6 advantage on a pair of kills. Cal U remained within striking distance midway through the set until Pitt-Johnstown went on a 5-2 run to take a 19-12 lead. The Vulcans cut the deficit with three-unanswered points before the Mountains Cats stretched the lead to 21-16. Cal U registered five of the next seven points to force a Pitt-Johnstown timeout, 23-21. The Mountain Cats completed the set victory with a kill and an attacking error from the Vulcans, 25-21.
 
UPJ recorded 15 kills on a .297 hitting percentage to take the third set, 25-20. The Mountain Cats took the initial two points of the set before the Vulcans scored five-straight, 5-2. A short 4-0 run allowed Pitt-Johnstown to reclaim the lead and forced a Cal U timeout. Both teams continued to exchange the lead before five-unanswered points were scored by the Mountain Cats, 14-10. The Vulcans trimmed the deficit to 17-15, but UPJ extended its lead with three of the next four points, 20-15. Cal U countered to cut the lead to 22-18 before Pitt-Johnstown secured the third set on a pair of kills, 25-20.
 
In the fourth set, the Vulcans opened up with a 6-2 lead before the Mountain Cats rallied back to tie the match at 8-8. Both teams battled for the lead before UPJ scored four-unanswered points to take a 14-10 advantage. The Mountain Cats continued to hold onto the lead throughout most of the set, but the Vulcans remained within striking distance. Pitt-Johnstown notched six of the next eight points to take a 24-19 lead. Cal U battled off match point five times to tie the match at 24-24 before taking the fourth set 27-25 on back-to-back kills.
 
The Vulcans completed the comeback victory with a 15-11 win the decisive fifth set. Cal U raced out to a 5-0 lead before winning five of the next seven points to take a 10-2 advantage. Following a Mountain Cat timeout, UPJ rallied the set back to 12-6 before a short 3-1 run trimmed the deficit to 13-9. Pitt-Johnstown managed to hold off match point twice before an attacking error sealed the victory, 15-11.
 
The Vulcans return to action tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 22, when they travel to Shippensburg in PSAC Crossover action at 1 p.m.