Women’s Volleyball Falls to No. 1 Juniata in NCAA Regional
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team made its third NCAA postseason appearance in program history on Thursday night, when the Lions faced No. 1 Juniata College in the first round of this week's NCAA Division III Tournament regional at Memorial Gymnasium.
Juniata (30-0) posted a sweep to advance to the next round, winning in three sets by scores of 25-10, 25-13, and 25-19. Penn State Altoona (16-11) is eliminated from the postseason with its loss.
Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) had a team-high seven points for Penn State Altoona on seven kills, and she also finished with 10 digs. Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) had six points on six kills to go along with six digs, and Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) tallied 4.5 points on four kills and a block assist.
Julia Emel (Woodward, PA/Penns Valley) totaled 11 assists, and she also finished with nine digs, one service ace, and one block assist. Abigail Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PHAA) chipped in six assists.
Anna Batrus (Altoona, PA/Altoona) tied for the match-high in digs with 17.
Juniata grabbed a lead early in the first set, but Penn State Altoona stayed within two points, thanks to a setting error by the Eagles and a Simanski kill. But the home team reeled off a 9-0 run to turn its 4-2 advantage into a 13-2 lead. Down 18-4, the Lions capitalized on four Juniata errors in the span of five points to make it 19-8. But the Eagles went on to take the first set by 15 points, 25-10.
Penn State Altoona scored the first two points of the second set, jumping out to 2-0 lead after a Juniata attack error and Emel's ace. Three Juniata points later, Barnhart's kill tied the score at 3-3. After the Eagles went on another run to claim a lead, kills by Karlie Feathers (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis), Simanski, and Port helped keep the Lions within six, 15-9, midway through the set. Barnhart scored another kill to make it 17-10, and the Lions got a pair of kills late in the set from Simanski, but Juniata still won the second set by 12 points, 25-13.
The Lions worked their way out to a lead in the third set. Trailing 3-1, Penn State Altoona went on a 5-0 run to stake out a 6-3 lead, getting two kills from Simanski, one from Port, and a Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) ace during that span. Another Port kill set the Lions' lead at 8-6. But Juniata quickly turned the tables, reeling off a 12-1 run to leap in front, 18-9. Down 23-12 later in the set, Penn State Altoona used a 7-1 run to narrow the gap to five points, 24-19. The run was helped by a duo block from Emel and Port, along with kills from Port and Barnhart. But Juniata ended the run to score the match-clinching point, ending the set at 25-19.
