CALIFORNIA (Nov. 5) – The Vulcans boasted four players with double-digit kills on Friday night while claiming 3-1 win (23-25, 25-13, 26-24, 25-17) over IUP in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action at the Convocation Center.

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team improves to 12-10 this season behind a 7-6 record in divisional play. The Vulcans hold a one-match lead for the final spot in the PSAC Tournament with three matches left in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks fall to 16-14 overall with a 6-8 mark in league action.

Senior Sarah Moehring (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) and junior Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) tied for the team lead with 14 kills and Moehring posted a .393 hitting percentage. Junior Chelsea Howard (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta) and sophomore Jaiden Armitage (Happy Valley, Ore./Clackamas) both added 10 kills in the victory with Armitage hitting at a .375 clip. Senior Marley Goff (Geneva, Ohio/Geneva) matched her career high of 27 assists and classmate Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) collected 20 assists on Friday.

Junior Kelly Lynch (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) paced the defensive effort with 16 digs, while Armitage and Burkey each tallied eight digs. Goff and Moehring both finished with seven digs on Friday. Howard recorded three blocks in the victory. The Vulcans tied their season high with 14 service aces against the Crimson Hawks with Moehring leading the team with a season-high five aces and Armitage and Burkey each collected three aces.

IUP rallied off six-straight points at the end of the first set to earn a 25-23 victory with both teams hitting nearly at a .350 clip. The Vulcans won three-straight points early in the set to take a 10-6 lead on a kill by Armitage before the Crimson Hawks countered with three-consecutive points. Cal U then won four of five points to stretch the lead to 14-10 and later held an 18-14 lead following a kill by Howard. The Crimson Hawks answered with three-straight points before the Vulcans recorded three-consecutive points to take a 21-17 lead, which forced a timeout. The teams traded the next four points before IUP mounted its run at the end of the match.

The Vulcans evened the match with a 25-13 win in the second set while not committing an attacking error in the set. Cal U posted a 5-1 run early in the set to take an 11-6 lead on a service ace by Howard. The Crimson Hawks then won back-to-back points before the Vulcans registered a 12-3 run to extend their lead to 23-11 after collecting four serve aces during the rally. The teams traded the remaining four points with a kill by Moehring clinching a 25-13 victory.

The teams combined for seven ties in the third set before a late rally gave Cal U a 26-24 win. Early in the set, the Vulcans posted a 10-3 run to take a 13-7 lead on a service ace by Burkey. IUP countered by winning six of eight points to trim the deficit to 15-13 before Cal U won three-consecutive points to hold an 18-13 lead. The Crimson Hawks rallied off a 6-2 run to tie the set at 20-20 before the Vulcans later won three of the final four points to earn a 26-24 win on a block by Moehring and sophomore Alayja Floyd (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central).

The Vulcans won seven-consecutive points early in the set and extended the lead to 10-3 on a kill by Burkey. Cal U later mounted a 6-1 run to extend the lead to 18-7 on a kill by Floyd. The Crimson Hawks countered with an 8-3 rally to work the deficit down to 21-15. Moehring closed the match with back-to-back kills, as Cal U won the set by a 25-17 count.

The Vulcans return to action tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 6, when they host Pitt-Johnstown for Senior Day at the Convocation Center, starting at 1 p.m.