Altoona, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's volleyball team traveled to 1st place Penn State-Altoona on Saturday, falling to the Lions in straight sets. Despite the loss, the Panthers were able to recognize senior Libero Kayla Maslowski, who surpassed the 1,500 dig milestone during the match.
Pitt-Bradford started slow, falling behind 4-0 before Jenna Louser rolled off three straight points with a pair of kills and a block. The Panthers quickly lost their momentum, allowing the hosts to score 4 more in a row, and then after a side out, quickly increasing their lead to 7. A Brookelyn Bellavia kill cut the lead to 5 before the Lions went on another run, outscoring the Panthers 9-2 to put the game on set point. The Panthers pulled 3 points back before a side out ended the set 25-15.
Set two saw the Panthers take an early lead before a Lion Rally put the hosts ahead 9-7. Kayla Maslowski was able to put the Panthers back in front with three straight aces, but Pitt-Bradford could not maintain the lead as Penn State-Altoona scored 7 of the next 8 points to take control of the set. The Panthers eventually cut the lead to 2 with an Alycia Wilson kill before 4 straight from the Lions moved the match to set point. Pitt-Bradford scored three quick points, but it would not be enough as the Lions closed the set with a 25-21 win.
Needing a victory in set three to extend the match, the Panthers got off to a strong start, but could not open up a lead as their efforts were matched by the hosts. After a Louser kill put the Panthers behind 8-9, the hosts went on a long scoring run, taking 9 of the following 10-points to open a commanding lead. With Alexah Martinez at the service line, the Panthers cut the lead down to two, using 3 kills by Wilson and one each from Taylor King and Hannah Hirata. They would not be able to get any closer, as they were limited to three points down the stretch and the match came to an end with a 25-20 Penn State-Altoona win.
Jenna Louser and Alycia Wilson each finished the match with 7 kills. Alexah Martinez added 4, while also leading the team with 10 assists. Kayla Maslowski collected 17 digs and also had 4 aces. Danielle Sasuga and Martinez also reached double-digit digs, as Sasuga finished with 13 and Martinez added 11.
The Loss drops the Panthers to 3-18 on the season with an 0-5 record in AMCC play. They will return to action on Wednesday, October 30th, when they travel to Alfred State.