SANDUSKY, Ohio – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team wrapped up its weekend at the Great Lakes Cross Over by facing two more strong non-conference opponents, taking on The University of Olivet and Kalamazoo College on Saturday at the Cedar Point Sports Complex.

The Lions (1-3) started their day with a morning match against Olivet, which triumphed 3-0. Penn State Altoona suffered another sweep in its second and final match of the day, losing 3-0 to Kalamazoo in the afternoon.

Match One: Olivet 3, Penn State Altoona 0

Penn State Altoona had a tough start to its day in the morning match, falling 3-0 to Olivet (2-1), which won by set scores of 25-18, 25-13, and 25-12.

Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) had a team-high 6.5 points on six kills and a block assist. Ella Hadley (Spring Mills, PA/Penns Valley) totaled four points on three kills and a service ace, and she also put up a team-best 10 digs.

Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) and Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) also had three kills apiece, with Simanski contributing nine digs.

Madelyn Rockwell (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) tallied 12 assists, and Julia Emel (Woodward, PA/Penns Valley) added six assists.

Anna Batrus (Altoona, PA/Altoona) finished with eight digs.

Olivet never trailed in the opening set, gradually expanding its lead throughout the course of the game. The Comets led by as many as eight points in the latter stages of the set, and despite late kills from Rockwell and Simanski, Olivet won by seven, 25-18.

In the second set, Olivet worked its way out to a commanding 10-1 lead. The Comets boosted their lead as high as 12 points and won the second set 25-13.

Penn State Altoona kept things close in the third set, until Olivet used a big run to win by double digits. Two Olivet errors and a Simanski kill helped keep the score tied 3-3, and a trio of kills from Port trimmed a Comet lead to one point, 10-9. But Olivet scored the next seven points to expand its advantage to eight, and the Comets outscored Penn State Altoona 15-3 overall the rest of the way to take the set by 13 points.

Match Two: Kalamzoo 3, Penn State Altoona 0

Penn State Altoona returned to action in the afternoon and was handed another loss, as Kalamazoo (4-0) posted a 25-14, 25-18, 25-20 win over the Lions.

Port had seven points on seven kills, and Maggie Brewer (NuMine, PA/West Shamokin) had five points on five kills. Emalee Cavender (Claysburg, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel), Hadley, Myers, and Simansko all had four points apiece.

Rockwell finished with 16 assists, and Emel chipped in eight assists.

Batrus tied for the match-high in digs with 12.

In the opening set, Penn State Altoona kept things close, capitalizing on several Kalamazoo errors while getting a kill from Hadley and ace from Myers to keep the score tied, 8-8. But the Hornets reeled off six straight points to jump in front, and Kalamazoo continued to grow its lead to eventually win the set by 11 points, 25-14.

The Lions found themselves in another close game during the second set, but Kalamazoo was able to pull away late. Down by four points, 13-9, Penn State Altoona scored three in a row on kills from Simanski and Rockwell and a Hornet attack error to close the gap to one, 13-12. Kills from Port and Myers shortly thereafter put the difference at two, 16-14. But Kalamazoo took nine of the next 13 points win the set by seven, 25-18.

Penn State Altoona got out to a lead in the third set, before Kalamazoo overcame it to win. Kills from Port, Cavender, Breer, and Simanski, along with an Emel ace, propelled the Lions to a 6-3 advantage. Two more Port kills helped make it 10-8, but an 8-1 run by Kalamazoo put the Hornets in front, 16-11. Down by as many as seven, Penn State Altoona worked back to within three, 23-20, including getting late kills from Simanski, Port, and Cavender. But Kalamazoo scored the next two points to close the set at 25-20 and win the match.

Next up, Penn State Altoona women's volleyball returns to Pennsylvania to continue its schedule next week. The Lions will travel to Chambersburg to take on Wilson College on Tuesday, September 3, at 7 p.m.