WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team added a pair of wins to its record on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions posted victories over non-conference opponents Delaware Valley University and Wilkes University during a tri-match at Wilkes' Marts Center.

Penn State Altoona (3-4) swept Delaware Valley 3-0 in its first match of the day, then followed that up with a 3-2 triumph against host Wilkes.

Match One: Penn State Altoona 3, Delaware Valley 0

Penn State Altoona started its day with a sweep of Delaware Valley (2-3), winning in straight sets by scores of 25-23, 25-16, and 25-23.

Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) totaled a match-high 15.5 points for Penn State Altoona, finishing with 13 kills, two service aces, and a block assist to go along with 14 digs. Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) had 14 points on 12 kills and two aces, and she also tallied a team-high 19 digs.

Karlie Feathers (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) earned 10 points on seven kills and a team-best three aces. Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) added 8.5 points on five kills, two aces, a solo block, and a block assist, and Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) also recorded five kills.

Gabriella Serra (Queens, NY/Benjamin Cardozo) put up a match-high 23 assists for the Lions, and Anna Batrus (Altoona, PA/Altoona) notched 18 digs while chipping in a pair of aces.

Penn State Altoona fell behind by a wide margin to start the first set, only to come back and win it. The Lions spotted Delaware Valley an eight-point lead, 12-4, before rattling off a 14-4 run to seize an 18-16 advantage. Kills by Simanski, Port, Barnhart, and Myers late in the set helped Penn State Altoona stay on top, 23-21, and Myers and Simanski teamed up for a block to get the Lions to set point. Delaware Valley narrowed its deficit to one, but Feathers' kill capped the set in favor of Penn State Altoona, 25-23.

The Lions carried their momentum into the second set, jumping out to a 20-10 lead. Delaware Valley trimmed the difference to six points, but Myers' kill and ace and Baileigh Mount's (Macungie, PA/Emmaus) kill represented the final three points of the set, giving Penn State Altoona a 25-16 win.

Penn State Altoona completed the sweep by pulling out a close victory in the third set. Trailing 14-12 midway through, the Lions got five consecutive kills – three by Simanski and two by Port – to leap in front, 17-14. Delaware Valley tied the score several points later, but two Barnhart kills and a Simanski ace put Penn State Altoona back on top, 21-18. A Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) kill and back-to-back aces from Batrus boosted the Lions' lead to 24-20, and after Delaware Valley came back to make it a one-point difference, an attack error handed the match-winning point to Penn State Altoona.

Match Two: Penn State Altoona 3, Wilkes 2

Penn State Altoona came out on top of a back-and-forth match against Wilkes (3-1) to pick up its third straight win this season. The home team prevailed 25-22 in the first set, but the Lions answered with a 25-18 victory in the second set. Wilkes responded, taking the third set 25-22, but Penn State Altoona evened the match score at 2-2 with a 25-20 win in the fourth. In the fifth set, the Lions seized a 15-9 win to grab the match victory.

Simanski scored a match-high 21 points, racking up 20 kills and adding one solo block while accumulating 10 digs. Barnhart contributed 11 points on nine kills, two block assists, and one ace while adding 12 digs.

Myers totaled 10.5 points on eight kills, three block assists, and one solo block, and Feathers had 10 points on seven kills, two aces, and two block assists. Port earned 8.5 points with seven kills and three block assists.

Serra put up 32 assists for the Lions while also recording 14 digs, and Abigail Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PHAA) added 12 assists and seven digs.

Batrus posted a team-high 16 digs.

Wilkes started the first set on an 8-2 run, but Penn State Altoona fought back to tie the score at 15-15. But the Colonels scored the next four points to regain the lead, and the home team held its advantage through the rest of the set to win it 25-22.

Penn State Altoona bounced back to pull out a win in the second set. Leading 6-5, the Lions widened the gap throughout the rest of the set. A combo block from Feathers and Myers preceded a Feathers kill that made it 15-10, and consecutive kills by Jadeyn Price (Altoona, PA/Altoona) and Myers made it 19-13. Another Feathers kill got Penn State Altoona to set point, and a Wilkes setting error provided the winning point for the Lions, 25-18.

Wilkes responded by overcoming a deficit midway through the third set to win it. Kills by Simanski and Port turned a one-point lead into a 17-14 advantage for Penn State Altoona, but a 4-0 run by Wilkes gave the home squad an 18-17 lead. Shortly thereafter, with the Lions ahead 20-19, the Colonels used a 5-0 run to grab a 24-20 advantage. Penn State Altoona stayed alive with kills from Simanski and Barnhart, but a Wilkes kill following a timeout gave the Colonels a 25-22 win.

Penn State Altoona answered by winning the fourth set, thanks to a late run. With the score knotted at 20-20, the Lions scored five straight points to prevail 25-20 in the set. The five-point streak included two aces by Serra and a kill from Myers.

In the fifth set, Wilkes scored the first three points, but the Lions countered by building a strong lead and riding it out the rest of the way to win the match. Down by three at the start, Penn State Altoona scored five straight points to surge ahead, including three consecutive kills by Myers, Feathers, and Simanski. Kills from Simanski and Port helped increase Penn State Altoona's lead to 9-4, and another Simanski kill later made it 14-7. Wilkes scored kills on the next two points, but Barnhart's kill clinched the win for Penn State Altoona, 15-9.

Penn State Altoona women's volleyball continues its schedule on the road Tuesday, September 12, when the Lions will travel to Beaver Falls to face non-conference opponent Geneva College at 7 p.m.