Down by six in the fourth set to Allegheny and facing the reality of a decisive fifth set, the Pitt-Bradford volleyball team stormed back to win the game, defeating the Gators, 3-1, Wednesday evening.

Pitt-Bradford won its final tune-up before conference play by scores of 25-16, 17-25, 26-24, 27-25. With the victory, the Panthers matched their win total from a year ago (11) and head into AMCC play on a high note.

Leading 18-12 in the fourth set, the visiting Gators looked poised to force a fifth set. Rose Thacker responded with two straight kills, igniting a 6-0 Pitt-Bradford spurt, which tied the game at 18. The two teams would exchange points and an error at the net pushed the Panthers ahead 22-21.

A Kirsten Platz block extended the lead to two, but the Gators battled back to tie the match at 23. Alexis Dhayer's kill forced the visitors to match point yet Allegheny refused to go away.

Two straight Gator points flipped the script on the Panthers and gave Allegheny a 25-24 advantage. Head coach Tom Roof alertly inserted Erin Fagan back into the rotation and she answered with two straight kills.

Allegheny sent a ball to the back line on the ensuing play and it was ruled out-of-bounds, securing the win for the Panthers.

Sharp passing and a crisp attack fueled the Panthers in set one. The duo of Fagan and Dhayer were active on the outside, accounting for five of the Panthers' final seven points. Pitt-Bradford surged ahead late in the second set, 17-14, only to see the Gators rip off 10 unanswered points to level the match.

The third set was a back and forth affair with each team holding late leads. Trailing 24-23, the Panthers rattled off three straight points to win the game, setting the stage for an exhilarating fourth set.

Fagan finished with a team-high 14 kills, and Platz and Thacker had 10 apiece. Christina Rauh had 10 kills, a career-high 50 assists and 15 digs to collect her second triple-double of the season. Emily Reitz posted 21 digs, Brianna Majot added 12, Mandy Finch chipped in with 11 and Dhayer had 10. Platz finished with three blocks and two aces, and Dhayer also had two aces.

"We showed a lot coming back in a couple sets tonight," Roof said. "We showed heart and determination…fighting through some tough spells where we got down.

The crowd was great tonight and they were a big lift at times. It's the win we needed to head into conference play on an up note."

Pitt-Bradford (11-3) opens league play Saturday with a doubleheader against Penn State Altoona and Mt. Aloysius.