CALIFORNIA (Nov. 16) – Sophomore Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) posted her team-leading 15th kill/dig double-double of the season on Saturday afternoon, as the Vulcans concluded the year with a 3-1 loss (25-16, 30-28, 19-25, 25-21) versus Pitt-Johnstown on Senior Day in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest play at the Convocation Center.
 
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team finishes the year with a 12-15 mark behind a 7-12 record in league action. Meanwhile, Pitt-Johnstown completes the season at 16-13 overall with an 8-11 record in conference play.
 
Moehring paced the team with 11 kills and matched a career high with 21 digs against the Mountain Cats. Junior Madeleine McKenna (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) finished with nine kills on a .368 hitting percentage, while freshman Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) also collected nine kills and four digs in the match. Freshman Ashlynn Gulakowski (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) and sophomore Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) guided the offense with 20 and 17 assists, respectively, in the loss.
 
Junior libero Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) directed the defensive effort with a team-high 28 digs and now sits fourth in Cal U history with 1,534 career digs, passing former teammate Ashley Leto (2014-17). Sophomore Shelby Alloway (Dunkirk, Ohio/Hardin Northern) also added 12 digs and tallied a team-leading four aces in the match. She finishes the year with the fifth-most aces in single-season school history at 56. The Vulcans controlled the net with 10 blocks after a team-leading seven blocks from sophomore Kiandria Cowart (East Liverpool, Pa./East Liverpool), while freshman Chelsea Howard (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta) matched a season high with six blocks on Saturday.
 
The Mountain Cats claimed the opening set by a 25-16 margin after totaling 11 kills and capitalizing on nine attacking errors. Pitt-Johnstown raced out to a 7-3 advantage before scoring three of the next four points to take a 10-4 lead. Cal U trimmed the deficit to 12-10 before the Mountain Cats went on a 7-1 run to extend the lead to 19-11. Following a Vulcan timeout, Pitt-Johnstown registered three-straight points before Cal U cut the deficit by scoring three of the next five points, 24-16. The Mountain Cats secure the first set by a 25-16 margin on a kill.
 
The second set featured 16 ties and eight lead changes, as Pitt-Johnstown took a 2-0 match lead. The set had little separation early as the teams were tied at 14-14 before Cal U answered with three-consecutive points, 17-14. Pitt-Johnstown then tallied five of the next seven points to once again tie the match, 19-19. The Vulcans responded with three-unanswered points to take a 22-19 advantage before the Mountain Cats were forced to take a timeout. Pitt-Johnstown would take a 25-24 lead after a 6-2 rally before Cal U reclaimed the advantage with consecutive points. After a Mountain Cat timeout, Pitt-Johnstown recorded five of the final seven points to take the second set, 30-28
 
Cal U registered a .300 hitting percentage and 11 kills to take the third set, 25-19. Pitt-Johnstown established a 6-1 advantage before the Vulcans countered by scoring seven of the next nine points to tie the match, 8-8. The teams would exchange the next eight points before Cal U posted a 4-1 rally to take a 16-13 lead. The Mountain Cats then tallied six of the next nine points to tie the contest at 19-19 before the Vulcans posted six-straight points to take the third set by a 25-19 margin.
 
Pitt-Johnstown secured the match victory in the fourth set by a 25-21 count behind 10 kills. The Mountain Cats built an early 8-3 advantage before Cal U scored seven-straight points to take a 10-8 lead. Following a Pitt-Johnstown timeout, the Mountain Cats went on a 7-1 run to reclaim the lead at 15-11 before the Vulcans answered with three-consecutive points, 15-14. Cal U then tied the match at 17-17 before Pitt-Johnstown totaled seven of the next nine points to take a 24-19 advantage. The Vulcans battled off match point twice before the Mountain Cats sealed the victory, 25-21.