WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team suffered its third straight loss on Tuesday night, when the Lions fell 3-1 to non-conference opponent Lycoming College in the Lamade Gymnasium.

Lycoming (8-1) won the opening set 25-18, but Penn State Altoona (3-7) responded with a 25-19 victory in the second set. However, the home team earned wins of 25-21 and 25-17 in the third and fourth sets to take the match.

Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) had a match-high 19 points and 17 kills for Penn State Altoona while adding 14 digs, two block assists, and one service ace. Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) produced 12 points on nine kills, two block assists, and two aces, and Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) had 11.5 points on 10 kills, an ace, and a block assist while also compiling 22 digs.

Julia Emel (Woodward, PA/Penns Valley) tallied a team-high 22 assists and three aces for the Lions, and Gabriella Serra (Queens, NY/Benjamin Cardozo) recorded 18 assists while chipping in one ace.

Anna Batrus (Altoona, PA/Altoona) totaled a team-best 26 digs for Penn State Altoona.

In the first set, kills by Karlie Feathers (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) and Simanski, along with a duo block by Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) and Jadeyn Price (Altoona, PA/Altoona), helped Penn State Altoona to a 5-4 lead. But Lycoming ripped off a 9-0 run to turn its one-point deficit into a 13-5 advantage. A kill by Barnhart helped Penn State Altoona get back to within four, 14-10, and a Lycoming error made it a three-point difference, 15-12. But the Warriors boosted their lead back to as many as eight points and ultimately won the opening set by seven, 25-18.

Penn State Altoona jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second set, helped by kills from Barnhart and Simanski and a service ace from Myers. The Lions continued to widen their lead, making it 10-2 on a block by Simanski and Port. Later, a Simanski ace increased Penn State Altoona's lead to 10 points, 20-10. Lycoming managed to close the gap to three points, 21-18, but Penn State Altoona responded with three consecutive kills by Myers, Simanski, and Barnhart. One point later, Feathers' kill provided the set-winning point for the Lions, who evened the match score at 1-1 with a 25-19 triumph.

In the third, Lycoming pulled away late to reclaim the match lead after a tightly contested set. Simanski's kill midway through the set kept the score tied, 14-14, and a kill from Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) put the score at 17-17. Lycoming scored four straight points after that, but a trio of kills from Myers helped Penn State Altoona get back to within two, 22-20. A Simanski kill kept the difference at two, 23-21, but the Warriors notched two points after that to grab a 25-21 victory in the third set.

Lycoming built an early lead in the fourth set and maintained it throughout to wrap up the match. The Warriors opened by establishing an 8-1 advantage, then grew their lead to 10 points, 19-9. A block by Barnhart and Port helped bring the Lions to within six, 22-16, but the home team scored three of the next four points to take the fourth set 25-17 and win the match.

Penn State Altoona women's volleyball returns to Ivyside to host its second home match of the season this Friday, September 22 at 6 p.m. against non-conference foe Penn College.