by Christina Roukas

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – On Thursday night, the Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team broke its four-match losing streak with a win over Penn State Harrisburg, beating them 3-1 (27-29, 25-20, 27-25, 25-18) in a match at the Capital Union Building.

Lydia Mock (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) led Penn State Altoona (3-9) and all players in the match with 27.5 points, 25 kills, and 21 digs. Her 25 kills tie for the fourth-most in a match in team history, while her total of 27.5 points ranks eighth.

Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) also contributed a career-high 16 points and 14 kills along with five digs. Lacee Barnhart (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) had 15 points, 14 kills, and 13 digs.

Kayla Moran (Boalsburg, PA/State College) totaled a season-high 50 assists to go along with 11 digs and five kills.

Erin Lutz (State College, PA/State College) finished with a match-high 26 digs, and Abigail Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PHAA) had a season-best eight digs.

Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) led the Lions in blocks with three block assists and two solo blocks. Myers had two block assists and a solo block, and Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) added two block assists and five kills.

In the first set, a dump from Moran broke a 1-1 tie. Mock scored an ace to put the Lions up 7-5, and Port's kill tied the match once again, 15-15. Penn State Altoona setter Moran found more open spots to dump the ball and score, as she notched another kill to give her team a 19-16 lead. But Penn State Harrisburg (9-6) surged ahead and ultimately won the first set, 29-27.

In the second set, Penn State Altoona broke a 7-7 tie by going on an 8-0 run. Kills from Mock, Moran, and Barnhart helped increase the Lions' lead to 23-18, and Penn State Altoona evened the match score at 1-1 following back-to-back kills from Barnhart and Myers that gave the Lions a 25-20 win in set two.

Moran's dump over the net tied the third set, 11-11, and Mock's tip kept the Lions even at 16-16. Penn State Altoona scored the next five straight points to go up 21-16, but Harrisburg came back to tie the score at 24-24. Barnhart's hit off the block put the Lions back on top, 25-24, and Mock's kill won the set, 27-25.

In the fourth set, Myers' kill put Penn State Altoona up 3-1, and Barnhart also scored a kill, extending the Lions' lead, 8-6. Port's hit put the Lions up by seven points, 18-11, and Myers scored a kill to set Penn State Altoona's lead at four, 22-18. Mock followed with a tip to make it 23-18, and a Barnhart ace and Mock kill finished the set with a 25-18 win for the Lions, who sealed the 3-1 match victory.

The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team heads back to Adler Arena this Saturday, October 8 to start its Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference schedule against Hilbert College. The match is set to start at 1:00 p.m.