GREENSBURG, Pa. (Oct. 7) – Playing its third five-set match in a week, the California (PA) volleyball team suffered a 3-2 loss (25-19, 20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 15-6) at Seton Hill on Friday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the loss, the Vulcans falls to 9-8 this season behind a 3-5 record in league action. Cal now holds a 16-8 record in five-set matches over the last five years. Meanwhile, the Griffins improve to 11-7 overall with a 2-5 mark in divisional play.

Senior Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) tied her season high with 19 kills on a .267 hitting percentage. Freshman Elisa Rugiero (Vicenza, Italy/Farina Vicenza) posted 11 kills and junior Alexa Malloy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) added 10 kills on Friday. Freshman Ashley Barnes (Crofton, Md./Arundel) led the team with 24 assists and classmate Adrianna Favata (Peoria, Ariz./Liberty) registered her third assist/dig double-double of the year with 20 assists and a season-high 14 digs.

Senior Kelly Lynch (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) paced the defensive effort while matching her career high of 25 digs. Junior Emily Buwawa (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) finished with 16 digs and sophomore Grace Dorcon (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) set a career high with 10 digs. Burkey collected her first kill/dig double-double of the year by adding 11 digs at Seton Hill. Junior Alayja Floyd (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) led the team with three blocks and a trio of players finished with two blocks.

In the decisive set, Cal committed seven attacking errors and was forced into a negative hitting percentage. The Vulcans opened the set with a 5-2 lead before the teams traded the next two points. Seton Hill then rallied off 12-unanswered points, despite two timeouts by the Cal, to earn the match victory, 15-6.

The Griffins captured the lead midway through the first set and maintained the lead for the rest of the set, 25-19. Cal started play on a 7-3 run before Seton Hill mounted a 9-2 rally to claim a 12-9 lead. The Vulcans responded by winning three of four points to cut the deficit to 13-12 before the teams later traded nine-straight points. The Griffins then earned six of the last eight points to post a 25-19 win.

Cal and Seton Hill combined for seven lead changes and 11 ties in the second set with the Vulcans tying the match score, 25-20. The Vulcans won three of four points early in the set to take a 6-4 lead on kill by Burkey. Seton Hill countered by claiming four of five points before Cal posted a 6-2 run to take a 13-10 lead. The Griffins later earned six of seven points to take a 19-17 lead before the Vulcans responded by winning eight of the next nine points, 25-20.

The Vulcans registered 14 kills in the third set while posting a 25-21 victory. Seton Hill held a 7-4 lead after winning three of four points before Cal tied the match at 10-10 on block assist by Floyd and Rugiero. The Griffins won back-to-back points before the Vulcans rallied off a 10-1 run to take a 20-13 lead. The teams traded the next six points before Seton Hill won five of six points. The Vulcans closed the set with a kill by Floyd, 25-21.

Cal staved off set point twice in the fourth set before Seton Hill earned a 26-24 win. The Vulcans won six of seven points early in the set to build a 9-5 lead. Cal later stretched the lead to 13-8 on a kill by Malloy before Seton Hill earned six of eight points to cut the deficit to 15-14 and forced a timeout. The Vulcans posted five of the next seven points to stretch the lead to 20-16 on a kill by Burkey. Seton Hill mounted an 8-1 run to take a 24-22 lead before Cal won back-to-back points to tie the set. The Griffins claimed the next two points to tie the match score, 26-24.

The Vulcans open the second round of PSAC West play on Tuesday, Oct. 11, when they host Pitt-Johnstown at the Convocation Center, starting at 7 p.m.