CALIFORNIA (Sept. 27) – Sophomore Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) and freshman Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) combined for over 35 kills and nearly 50 digs on Friday night, as the Vulcans rallied to earn a 3-2 win (25-20, 19-25, 21-25, 25-22, 17-15) over Millersville at the Convocation Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play.

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team improves to 6-3 this season with a 1-0 mark in league play. Meanwhile, Millersville had its nine-match winning streak snapped while moving to 10-4 overall and 0-1 in conference action.

Burkey led the team with 19 kills on a .220 hitting percentage and set a season high with a team-leading 27 digs. Moehring matched her season high of 17 kills and collected a season-high 20 digs for her fourth kill/dig double-double of the season. Sophomore Kiandria Cowart (East Liverpool, Ohio/East Liverpool) also reached double-digit kills in the victory, finishing with a career-high 11 kills on 31 attacks. Classmate Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) directed the offense with a season high of 52 assists and also added 11 digs and two service aces in the victory.

The Vulcans featured five players with double-digit digs on Friday, as Burkey, Moehring and junior libero Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) all collected at least 20 digs. Silbaugh finished with 26 digs and freshman Kelly Lynch (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) added 11 digs against Millersville. Junior Madison Kline (Hastings, Pa./Cambria Heights) and sophomore Tyana Quivers (Mercersburg, Pa./James Buchanan) each anchored the net with four blocks.

In the decisive fifth set, the teams combined for six lead changes and eight ties while both teams were held below a .100 hitting percentage. Cal U took an early 4-1 lead before Millersville countered with four-straight points to take a 5-4 lead. The Vulcans later collected four-unanswered points to reclaim the lead at 9-6 on a block assist by Kline and Quivers. The Marauders answered with another four-consecutive points to take a 10-9 lead to force the Vulcans to call their final timeout. Moehring tallied back-to-back kills before a service ace gave Cal U a 12-10 lead. Following a timeout by Millersville, the Marauders won four-straight points before the Vulcans staved off match point with three-unanswered points to take a 15-14 lead on consecutive kills by Cowart. After Millersville tied the set at 15-15, Moehring and Cowart posted kills on back-to-back points to seal the match victory with a 17-15 win in the set.

Cal U opened the match with a 25-20 win in the first set after hitting at an impressive .357 clip. Early in the set, the Vulcans mounted a 10-3 run to take a 13-7 lead on a service ace by Benson. Millersville later won five of six points to cut the deficit to 20-18 before Cal U rallied off three-straight points. Following a timeout, the Marauders won back-to-back points before junior Rachel Priore (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) collected back-to-back kills to win the set at 25-20.

The Marauders evened the match score with a 25-19 win in the second set. Millersville raced out to an 8-2 lead before Cal U answered with three-straight points, including back-to-back aces by Lynch. The teams later traded eight-consecutive points before the Vulcans worked the deficit down to 14-12. Millersville won four of five points to increase the lead to 18-13 and later won three-straight points to hold a 21-15 lead. The Vulcans then won four of five points before the Marauders claimed the victory after winning three-straight points, 25-19.

Millersville took a 2-1 match lead after winning the third set by a 25-21 margin. The Vulcans won the opening three points of the set before Priore, a two-time All-PSAC selection, was forced from the match due to injury. The Marauders mounted a 10-4 rally and later won four of five points to take a 16-12 lead. The teams then traded the next six points before Cal U won three-straight points to work the deficit to 19-18 on a kill by Cowart. Millersville earned six of the next nine points before finishing with the 25-21 victory.

In the fourth set, the Vulcans tallied 17 kills and evened the match score with a 25-22 win. Cal U opened the set on a 9-2 run before Millersville won five of six points to cut the deficit to 10-7. The Marauders later trailed 12-11 before the Vulcans won four of five points to increase the lead to 16-12. Millersville then mounted a 5-1 run to even the score at 17-17 and later led by a 19-18 margin. The Vulcans won the next four points behind back-to-back kills by Moehring to take a 22-19 lead before later winning consecutive points. Millersville staved off set point twice before a kill by Cowart clinched the 25-22 victory.

Cal U continues PSAC Crossover play tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 28, when it hosts West Chester at the Convocation Center, starting 1 p.m.