CALIFORNIA (Nov. 15) – The California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team suffered a 3-1 loss (12-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-22) versus IUP at the Convocation Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest action on Friday night.
 
With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 12-14 overall with a 7-11 mark in conference play. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks snap a five-match losing streak and improve to 7-20 this season behind a 6-12 record in league action.
 
Sophomore Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) registered her team-leading 14th kill/dig double-double of the season behind 10 kills and 10 digs. Freshman Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) finished with nine kills and five digs, while junior Madison Kline (Hastings, Pa./Cambria Heights) totaled eight kills and two blocks against the Crimson Hawks. Sophomore Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) directed the offense with 26 assists and 13 digs, her 15th assist/dig double-double this year.
 
Junior libero Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) paced the defense with 20 digs, as the Vulcans featured four players with double-digit digs. Sophomore Shelby Alloway (Dunkirk, Ohio/Hardin Northern) added 12 digs and moved into a tied for ninth place in single-season school history with 52 aces. Cal U tallied 11 service aces in the match, led by Burkey with four aces and Benson with three aces in the match. The Vulcans also finished with nine blocks after sophomore Kiandria Cowart (East Liverpool, Pa./East Liverpool) controlled the net with a career-high nine blocks and freshman Chelsea Howard (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta) added six blocks on Friday.
 
Cal U claimed the first set by a 25-12 margin after totaling eight service aces and holding IUP to a negative hitting percentage. The Vulcans established an early 6-3 advantage to start the set before the Crimson Hawks answered with three-straight points to tie the contest, 6-6. Cal U would respond with a 5-0 run to take an 11-6 lead before IUP posted back-to-back points to halt the run. The Vulcans then scored six of the next seven points to stretch the advantage to 19-10 before the Crimson Hawks recorded consecutive points. Cal U would register a 6-0 run behind three aces from Burkey to secure the first set, 25-12.
 
The Crimson Hawks tied the match at 1-1 after totaling 14 kills in the second set. IUP raced out to a 10-3 lead early in the set before scoring five of the next six points to extend the advantage to 15-4. Following a timeout by the Vulcans, the teams traded the next six points before a 6-1 rally by Cal U closed the gap to 19-13. The Crimson Hawks countered with back-to-back points before the Vulcans tallied five of the next six points to trim the deficit to 22-18. IUP would score three of the final five points to claim the set by a 25-20 margin.  
 
IUP built a 2-1 advantage after recording 13 kills to take the third set by a score of 25-22. The Crimson Hawks took a 7-2 lead before Cal U tied the contest at 8-8 after tallying six of the next seven points, including a pair of kills from Kline. The Vulcans used a 5-2 rally to establish a 13-10 advantage before IUP answered with back-to-back points. The Crimson Hawks then tied the match at 16-16 before Cal U scored five-unanswered points to reclaim the lead, 21-16. IUP countered with a 9-1 rally behind kills from three different players to take the third set by a 25-22 margin.
 
The Crimson Hawks completed the match victory in the fourth set after capitalizing on 11 attacking errors. The Vulcans recorded a 5-1 advantage early in the set before IUP scored four of the next five points to trim the deficit to 6-5. Cal U would stretch the lead to 12-8 before the Crimson Hawks used a 6-2 rally to tie the match at 14-14. The Vulcans would exchange the next four points before IUP scored three of the next four points to take a 19-17 advantage. Following a Cal U timeout, the Vulcans tallied consecutive points, but the Crimson Hawks answered with three-straight points, 22-19. Cal U closed the gap to 22-21 before IUP notched three of the final four points to take the set by a 25-22 margin
 
The Vulcans close out the season tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 16, when they host Pitt-Johnstown in PSAC Southwest Division action on Senior Day, starting at 1 p.m.