Volleyball Extends Win Streak With Sweep of Wilson
ALTOONA, Pa. – Penn State Altoona women's volleyball kept its recent win streak alive on Thursday night, picking up a 3-0 victory over non-conference opponent Wilson College in the Adler Arena.
The Lions (14-4) secured their sixth consecutive win and fourth straight sweep by defeating Wilson (7-12) 25-8, 25-16, and 25-13.
Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) led all players in the match with 12.0 points, finishing with nine kills on a .529 attack percentage, two service aces, two digs, and one solo block. Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) added seven kills on a .538 hitting percentage and four digs, and Lydia Mock (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) totaled five kills, three digs, and two aces.
Karlie Feathers (Bellwood, PA/Bellwood-Antis) contributed three kills, two digs, one block assist, and one ace, and Makenna Bauer (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) had two kills, one block assist, and one ace. Alexis Cannistraci (Tyrone, PA/Tyrone) and Taylor Kilmer (Julian, PA/Bald Eagle) each recorded two kills and one block assist, and Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) tallied two kills.
Kayla Moran (Boalsburg, PA/State College) had a match-high 17 assists while chipping in three digs and three kills. Abigail Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PHAA) added five assists and a dig, and Alison Abrashoff (Dillsburg, PA/Northern York) tied for the match lead in aces with two.
Erin Lutz (State College, PA/State College) recorded a team-high seven digs while adding an assist and an ace. Anna Batrus (Altoona, PA/Altoona) had five digs and an ace, and Allie Godwin (Pittsburgh, PA/West Allegheny) added two digs and an ace. Kristen Onder (Clarence, PA/Bald Eagle) totaled two digs, and Michele Imler (Imler, PA/Claysburg-Kimmel) had one dig.
Penn State Altoona capitalized on Wilson miscues in the first set to start the match with a lopsided win. With an 18-8 point lead late in the set, the Lions scored the final seven consecutive points on kills from Barnhart, Moran, and Cannistraci, as well as a Bauer ace and a Wilson attack error and setting error.
The Lions had their best hitting performance of the match in the second set, during which the team swung at a .385 clip and totaled 14 kills. Three straight kills from Myers, Barnhart, and Port helped the home team to a 3-1 lead early in the set, and back-to-back kills from Barnhart made it 15-5 later. The Phoenix got back to within four points, 20-16, but Myers recorded two aces and a kill, while Feathers tallied two kills, and Penn State Altoona prevailed by nine points in the set.
Wilson committed a match-high eight attack errors in the third set to help propel Penn State Altoona to the sweep. Port and Bauer started the set off with kills for the Lions, and two Myers kills in a row increase the home team's lead to 15-5 later. Two aces from Abrashoff and two more Myers kills helped extend Penn State Altoona's advantage to 21-5, and Bauer ultimately ended the set with a kill that gave her team a 12-point set win.
Penn State Altoona women's volleyball plays its final regular season match at home this Saturday, October 30, hosting Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Hilbert College for a match beginning at 12:00 p.m.
Prior to the match, the Lions will hold their Senior Day ceremony, recognizing Abrashoff and Cannistraci on their Penn State Altoona women's volleyball careers.
