ERIE, Pa. (Oct. 31) – The California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team was held to a season-low 20 kills in a 3-0 loss (25-13, 25-14, 25-11) at Gannon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play on Thursday night.
 
With the loss, the Vulcans drop to 11-9 overall with a 6-6 mark in conference play. Meanwhile, the Lady Knights extend their winning streak to five-straight matches and improve to 20-5 this season behind a 12-1 record in league action. Gannon has now secured its 11th-consecutive season with at least 20 wins and has not missed the NCAA Tournament since 2008.
 
Junior Madison Kline (Hasting, Pa./Cambria Heights) and freshman Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) tied for the team lead with five kills, as Cal U was held under a .100 hitting percentage on Thursday. Junior Madeleine McKenna (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) finished with four kills and two digs, while sophomore Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) guided the offense with 17 assists against the Lady Knights.
 
Junior libero Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) paced the team with nine digs and sophomore Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) added eight digs in the match. The Vulcans were also held to just five aces after entering play ranked fourth in NCAA Division II with 2.33 aces per set.
 
Gannon established an early 1-0 advantage after taking the first set by a 25-13 margin behind 15 kills on a .345 hitting percentage. The Lady Knights built a 9-2 lead and forced Cal U into an early timeout before the Vulcans responded with back-to-back points. The teams traded the next six points before Gannon went on a 6-1 run to take a 19-8 advantage. Cal U answered with three-straight points, including a kill from McKenna, to trim the deficit to 19-11. The Lady Knights would score six of the final eight points to claim the first set, 25-13
 
In the second set, the Lady Knights totaled a staggering 20 kills on a .472 clip to secure a 25-14 win. Gannon raced out to a 6-1 lead, but the Vulcans responded with consecutive points. The Lady Knights stretched the advantage to 15-5 on a 9-2 run before Cal U scored four of the next seven points, 18-9. The teams exchanged the next four points before Gannon tallied five of the last eight points to take the second set by a 25-14 margin.
 
Gannon completed the 3-0 sweep after the third set featured four ties and just two lead changes. The Lady Knights took an 8-5 advantage before Cal U countered with three-straight points, including a pair of kills, to tie the match at 8-8. Gannon answered with four-unanswered points before the Vulcans collected three of the next four points, 13-11. The Lady Knights finished the match on a 12-0 run to seal the victory by a 25-11 count in the third set.
 
The Vulcans continue their road trip tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 1, when they face Mercyhurst in Erie, Pennsylvania, starting at 7 p.m.