CALIFORNIA (Sept. 30) – The Vulcans scored seven-straight points in the decisive fifth set on Friday night to claim a 3-2 win (24-26, 25-19, 25-21, 20-25, 15-6) over Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play at the Convocation Center.

With the victory, the California (PA) volleyball team improves to 8-6 this season with a 2-3 mark in league action. The Vulcans have won six of the last eight meetings in the series with the Lakers. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst falls to 2-12 overall behind a 0-5 record in divisional play.

Sophomore Allie Droneberger (North Beach, Md./Northern) tied her career high with 14 kills on 53 attempts. Freshman Elisa Rugiero (Vicenza, Italy/Farina Vicenza) set a season high with 10 kills, including five kills in the fifth set, on a .389 hitting percentage and senior Chelsea Howard (Atlanta, Ga./North Atlanta) posted nine kills on a .280 clip in the victory. Freshman Adrianna Favata (Peoria, Ariz./Liberty) established a season high of 26 assists and classmate Ashley Barnes (Crofton, Md./Arundel) collected 19 assists against Mercyhurst.

Junior libero Emily Buwawa (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands) paced the defensive effort with a career-high 24 digs. Droneberger recorded her first kill/dig double-double of the season as she finished with 10 digs in the win. Senior Kelly Lynch (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) and Barnes both tallied nine digs on Friday. Senior Kaylin Burkey (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) recorded eight kills, five service aces and eight digs in the match, while Howard set a season high with six blocks.

The Vulcans mounted an 11-1 run and hit at a .318 clip in the fifth set on Friday. Mercyhurst held a 4-3 lead before Cal rallied off four-straight points, including three kills by Rugiero, to take a 7-4 lead. The Lakers won the initial point following the timeout before the Vulcans collected seven-unanswered points to claim a 14-5 lead on a kill by Howard. Rugiero later sealed the match victory with a kill, 15-6.

Mercyhurst opened the match with a 26-24 victory in the first set. The Vulcans started the set with a 5-2 lead before the Lakers tied the score at 6-6. Cal responded by winning three of four points to take a 10-7 lead on a kill by Howard before Mercyhurst won seven of nine points to take a 14-12 lead. The teams later traded 13-traight points before the Lakers forced set point by winning back-to-back points, 24-21. Cal then tied the score with three-consecutive points before Mercyhurst won the set, 26-24.

The Vulcans evened the match score with a 25-19 win in the second set behind a rally of nine-consecutive points. Early in the set, Cal earned seven of nine points to build a 12-8 lead on back-to-back service aces by Favata. The Lakers countered with six-straight points to reclaim the lead at 14-12 before the Vulcans registered a 9-0 run to take a 21-14 lead on an ace by Burkey. Mercyhurst trimmed the deficit to 22-19 before Cal answered with three-unanswered points to win the set, 25-19.

The teams combined for 11 ties in the third set before Cal posted a 25-21 victory. Cal seized control early in the set with eight of nine points to take a 9-3 lead on a service ace by Burkey. The Lakers responded with a 9-1 run to take a 12-10 lead before the Vulcans later won three-straight points to take a 17-15 lead. Cal eventually closed the set by winning four-straight points, 25-21.

The Lakers led for the entirety of the fourth set while posting a .278 hitting percentage, 25-20. Mercyhurst mounted an 8-3 run early in the set to take a 12-6 lead before California called a timeout. The Lakers later won four of five points twice to take a 21-12 lead before the Vulcans claimed seven of nine points to cut the deficit to 23-19 on a block assist by Burkey and Howard.

Cal continues its weekend homestand tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 1, when it hosts Edinboro in PSAC West play at 2 p.m.