CRESSON, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team suffered its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference loss of the season on Wednesday night, when the Lions fell 3-1 to rival Mount Aloysius College in the Athletic, Convocation, and Wellness Center.

Penn State Altoona (10-10, 5-1 AMCC) got off to a strong start, winning the opening set 25-22. But Mount Aloysius (9-14, 4-2 AMCC) bounced back to claim victory in the next three sets by scores of 25-19, 25-17, and 25-17.

Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) finished with a team-high 11.5 points for Penn State Altoona on eight kills, three block assists, and a team-best two service aces. Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) had 11 points on a team-leading 11 kills.

Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) scored seven points on seven kills, and she also racked up a team-high 21 digs. Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) totaled six points on four kills, two block assists, and one solo block.

Julia Emel (Woodward, PA/Penns Valley) tallied 13 assists, and Abigail Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PHAA) added nine assists.

Anna Batrus (Altoona, PA/Altoona) recorded 20 digs.

Penn State Altoona was hurt by its own miscues, as the Lions committed a season-high 31 attack errors during the match.

Penn State Altoona led for nearly all of the first set and eventually won it by three points. Trailing 4-3, the Lions scored three straight points on a Myers kill and ace, along with a Mount Aloysius attack error, to jump ahead, 6-4. Penn State Altoona boosted its lead to four, 14-10, before the Mounties used a 5-1 run to tie the score at 15. Two points later, with the score knotted at 16-16, a Barnhart kill and errors by the Mounties helped the Lions reclaim the lead, 19-16. Back-to-back kills from Barnhart and Myers helped increase the visitors' advantage to four, 22-18, and another Barnhart kill kept the difference at four, 23-19. Karlie Feathers (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) and Myers combined for a block to keep the Lions' lead at four points, 24-20, and a Mount Aloysius attack error later closed the set at 25-22, in favor of Penn State Altoona.

Penn State Altoona carried its momentum into the second set, winning the first five straight points, including getting kills from Feathers and Barnhart in that span. But Mount Aloysius rallied to go on a 13-5 run, overtaking the Lions' lead to jump in front, 13-10. Penn State Altoona got back to within two points on four different occasions and found themselves down 20-18. But the Mounties scored four straight points after that to get to set point. After a Barnhart kill, a Mount Aloysius kill gave the home team a 25-19 victory in the second set.

In the third set, it was Mount Aloysius carrying over momentum from the previous game, as the Mounties opened on a 5-0 run. Penn State Altoona got back to within two, 9-7, but never led during the set. Mount Aloysius went on to expand its advantage to as many as eight points, and the home team won the third set 25-17 to take a lead in the match.

Penn State Altoona and Mount Aloysius battled closely for the first half of the fourth set, but the Mounties pulled away in the latter stages. Kills on consecutive plays by Simanski and Barnhart helped keep the score even, 6-6, and back-to-back kills from Myers and Barnhart later gave Penn State Altoona its first lead of the set, 9-8. But Mount Aloysius scored the next four points to get back in front, 12-9, and the Mounties never relinquished their lead. The home team increased its lead as high as eight points, winning the fourth set 25-17 to take the match.

Penn State Altoona women's volleyball returns home for its final match of the regular season this Saturday, October 28, when the Lions will host AMCC opponent Alfred State College for a match beginning at 11 a.m. in Adler Arena.

That match also represents the team's Senior Day, with pre-match festivities in order to honor senior players Barnhart and Feathers.