Lions Defeat Elizabethtown for Third Straight Win
by Christina Roukas
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team increased its win streak to three after defeating non-conference opponent Elizabethtown College 3-1 (25-23, 27-25, 23-25, 27-25) on Thursday night in the Adler Arena.
In the first set, Taylor Myers (Morrisdale, PA/West Branch) scored a kill to tie the match 2-2. Lydia Mock (Alum Bank, PA/Chestnut Ridge) added a kill to give the Lions the lead, 5-4, and Lacee Barnhart's (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle) tip broke an 11-11 tie and put Altoona in the lead, 12-11. The set was neck-and-neck, and Makenna Port (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte) recorded a kill to hold Altoona in the lead. Myers scored an ace to extend Altoona's advantage to two, 16-14, and Barnhart and Port teamed up on a block to tie the match, 20-20. Kayla Moran (Boalsburg, PA/State College) scored an ace to break a 21-21 tie, and Mock and Port sealed the set with a duo block, as Penn State Altoona won the first set 25-23.
Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) scored a kill early in the second set to tie the score 2-2, and Port's kill put Penn State Altoona up 7-5. Mock's kill made it 9-6, and Barnhart hit a roll shot to make it 18-16. Elizabethtown came back to tie the match 24-24, but Mock's kill broke the tie, and Penn State Altoona went on to win the second set 27-25.
In the third set, Moran's tip and Mock's kill cut an early Elizabethtown lead to 5-4. Port's tip tied the score 6-6, and Barnhart's hit off the block put the Lions up 9-8. A duo block by Port and Fussell set the Lions' lead at 15-13, and back-to-back kills from Mock and Port increased Altoona's lead to 18-13. Another Mock kill gave Altoona a five-point advantage, 19-14, but Elizabethtown came back once again to tie the set at 23-23. The Blue Jays scored the next two points, winning the third set 25-23.
In the fourth set, Elizabethtown started on a 7-0 run, as the Lions had a hard time offensively in the early going. Jadeyn Price (Altoona, PA/Altoona) scored a kill to make it 9-3, and Port's kill kept the deficit at six points, 11-5. Altoona scored the next seven points in a row, including back-to-back kills from Barnhart, an ace by Erin Lutz (State College, PA/State College), a hit off the block by Barnhart, and an attack error that put the Lions in front, 12-11. Price scored a kill to make it 15-13, and Barnhart scored a tip to make it 23-18. Like déjà vu, Elizabethtown came back, tying the set 24-24. But Myers scored a kill to break a 24-24 tie, and Mock's kill made it 26-25. An Elizabethtown attack error wrapped things up, as Penn State Altoona won the fourth set 27-25.
Barnhart led all players in the match with 21.5 points and 21 kills while adding 22 digs. Mock contributed 13.5 points, 13 kills, and a team-high 28 digs, and Myers totaled 10 points with nine kills. Port recorded 8.5 points with seven kills and a team-best three block assists.
Moran had a match-high 48 assists while adding 19 digs and four kills.
Lutz finished with 26 digs, and Abigail Brinker (Lock Haven, PA/PHAA) totaled a career-high 23 digs. The Lions' total of 132 digs as a team is the seventh-most in a match in program history.
The Penn State Altoona women's volleyball teams heads back on the road to play Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Pitt-Bradford this Saturday October 22. The match is set to start at 1:00 p.m.
