INDIANA, PA – The Crimson Hawks fell by a combined eight points over three sets in a very tight 3-0 loss to Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West women's volleyball action on Friday night at the Kovalchick Complex.
 
Each set was close as IUP fell 25-22, 25-23 and 25-22 in tonight's three-setter. The Crimson Hawks fall to 6-9 overall and 2-6 in the PSAC. Mercyhurst is now 11-4 overall and 6-2 in the conference.
 
Lauren Hester (State College, Pa. /State College) doubled up with a team-high 11 kills and 15 digs. Lisa Kissell (Greensburg, Pa. /Greensburg Salem) had nine kills while Elizabeth Sova (Myerstown, Pa. /ELCO) had eight and Lily McWilliams (Rockville, Md./Thomas Sprigg Wootton) added six.
 
All three sets were highly contested all the way through. IUP held a 7-5 lead over the Lakers in the opening set, and later led 9-7, before Mercyhurst went on a 7-2 run to go up 14-11. The Lakers held a 23-18 lead in that first set, but the Crimson Hawks responded with a 4-1 run to cut their deficit to two until Mercyhurst ended the rally with a kill and a three-point win.
 
In the second set it was the Lakers who jumped out on top first, holding a 10-8 lead until IUP scored five of the next six points to take a 13-11 lead after a kill by Kissell. The Crimson Hawks later held a 16-14 advantage but Mercyhurst jumpstarted its comeback with another 7-2 run, and later scored a 3-1 run to take a 24-21 lead. IUP got back-to-back kills by Kissell and Sova to cut the Lakers' lead to one, but another rally would end with a two-point loss on the following serve.
 
There were four ties and four lead changes early in the third set, but a 6-1 run by the Crimson Hawks with Sova and Lindsay Moeller (Troy, Mich./Troy) serving gave them a 10-6 lead and forced a Mercyhurst timeout. The Lakers rebounded after that stoppage, going on an 8-3 run to take a 14-13 advantage. They'd go on a couple of 4-1 runs after that to take a familiar 23-18 lead, until IUP fired back by scoring four of the next five points to make it a 24-22 game. Again, another rally was ruined with a kill by the Lakers to end the set and the match.
 
Moeller finished the night with 23 of the Crimson Hawks' 38 assists. She also had five kills and five digs. Joie Hrapla (Pittsburgh, Pa. /Bishop Canevin) led all defenders with 21 digs.
 
IUP returns to the court on Saturday, hosting Gannon at 2 p.m. at the Kovalchick Complex.