Lady Lions Snap Skid With 3-2 Win Over Lycoming
ALTOONA, Pa. - Penn State Altoona women's volleyball put an end to its three-match losing streak on Thursday night in the Adler Arena, defeating non-conference opponent Lycoming College 3-2.
The Lady Lions (10-11) prevailed 25-15, 17-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-13.
Lauren Diller (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg) led all players in kills with 16, and she added a team-high 21 digs. Josie Stovall (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra) added 12 kills, and Velanna Skripek (Moshannon, PA/Bald Eagle) had 11 kills and five digs.
Lauren Moran (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop) had a match-high 23 set assists to go along with 10 digs. Emily Bryan (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) added 11 assists and 10 digs.
Kaitlin Cassaday (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air) returned to the lineup for the Lady Lions, finishing with 16 digs, four kills, and one solo block. Nicole Kiser (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) posted 13 digs, and Tara Ryan (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) recorded two solo blocks and one block assist.
Penn State Altoona built a 10-point lead in the first set, going up 18-8 following back-to-back kills by Diller. The set ended with a five-point run by the Lady Lions that included two kills from Stovall.
Lycoming (13-16) evened the match score at 1-1 with an eight-point win in the second set. The Warriors maintained a comfortable lead throughout the set, and their final six points came via kills.
The Lady Lions bounced back to win the third set by seven points. Up 9-7 early, a three-point run that consisted of two Diller kills and a service ace from Moran prompted a Lycoming timeout. Penn State Altoona went up by eight points, 24-16, following a Skripek kill, and another kill by Skripek provided the winning point in the set for the home squad.
Lycoming overcame a deficit to win the fourth set, staying alive in the match. After two attack errors gave Penn State Altoona a 19-18 lead, Lycoming used kills from Molly Ball and Emily Morris and a Lady Lion attack error to jump ahead 21-19. Penn State Altoona went back ahead 22-21 following two Skripek kills and an attack error, but Ball added another kill for Lycoming to tie the set. The next three points for the Warriors came on Penn State Altoona attack errors, and the teams headed for a fifth set.
Penn State Altoona got out to a 10-5 lead in the fifth. Lycoming battled back to nearly tie the score, cutting the Lady Lions' lead to 14-13. But Diller's kill put the finishing touches on the set and the match in favor of the home team.
Lady Lions volleyball hits the road this Saturday, October 21 to face Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Medaille College at 1:00 p.m.
