Houghton, N.Y. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford volleyball team played their second game in as many days on Wednesday night, traveling to Houghton for a non-conference tilt.
The Panthers used a 12-2 run to close out the opening set and win 25-15, before dropping sets two and three 19-25 and 15-25. They fell behind early in set four but battled back scoring the final 5 points of the set to win it 25-22 and force a deciding fifth set. In the fifth, the Panthers were unable to keep their momentum, falling behind early and ultimately losing the set 7-15 to end the match.
Pitt-Bradford split the first half of set one with the Highlanders, as both teams were able to put together short scoring rallies, but found themselves tied at 12 midway through the set. After a pair of slideouts, the Panthers took over and scored 12 of the final 14 points of the set. Following a service error from the hosts, Bridget Kasting picked up two consecutive aces to start the rally. The Panthers recorded three more aces in the set and took a 1-0 lead after Emma King put down a king to end the set.
The Panthers started the second set off strong, scoring the first three points. After the Highlanders battled back to tie the set at 6, the Panthers scored three more in a row on a Ryley PAgo and Emma King block, an error, and an ace from Dylan Amic. Up 9-6, the Panthers hit a rut, as the hosts scored 9 straight and 12 of 14 points to open up a commanding lead. The Panthers battled back late, cutting the lead down to 3 with a 5-point run, but they could not get any closer as Houghton was able to close the set on a 5-3 run.
The Highlanders opened the 4th set with a run, slowly building a 7-point lead at 7-14. After the Panthers cut the lead down to 5, the Highlanders responded, scoring 8 of the next 10 points to build a double-digit advantage.
The Panthers struggled out of the gate once again in the fourth, as the Highlanders scored 6 in a row to open up a 6-13 lead. Pitt-Bradford quickly responded as a kill from setter Chloe Bellis led to seven straight points for the Panthers, tying the setup at 14. Houghton was able to pull back ahead in the set, but The Panthers scored the last 5 points once again to send the game to a deciding 5th set.
Pitt-Bradford quickly lost their momentum in the 5th, as the hosts came out strong, scoring the first 6 points of the shortened set. After a service error ended the run, Chloe Bellis recorded a pair of aces, but the Panthers were unable to build any more momentum, as they continued to add to their lead until they secured a victory with a 7-15 set win.
Freshman Bridget Kasting set a new career high in the match, recording 15 kills. Emma King added 5 more, while Summer Anderson finished with a .444 hitting percentage. Chloe Bellis had a strong all-around match for the Panthers, tallying 2 kills, 17 assists, 6 aces and 16 digs. Kayla Maslowski led the defensive effort with 24 digs.
The loss moves the Panthers to 1-6 on the season. This weekend, they will head to Oberlin, Oh. where they will take on Wooster, Oberlin, and Defiance. The tournament opens with a match against Wooster on Friday, September 15th at 4:00 p.m. at Phillips Gymnasium.
