ERIE, PA - Elizabeth Sova (Myerstown, Pa. /ELCO) had a game-high 21 kills to help IUP to a 3-1 win over West Virginia State in a non-conference volleyball match up on Saturday morning in Erie.
 
Sova's 21 kills came on 41 total attacks with just seven hitting errors for a .341 hitting percentage. She added four block assists to finish with a team-high 24 points on the night.
 
The win was IUP's fourth win as the Crimson Hawks improved to 4-3 overall.
 
The first three games were neck-and-neck, with IUP winning 25-22 in the opening set before WV State took their only winning set in the second, 21-25. The Crimson Hawks fought back to finish off the match with wins in the third, 27-25, and fourth sets, 25-13.
 
The Crimson Hawks held a lead all through the opening set. The Yellowjackets trailed 3 points behind IUP until Sova's error, but Lily McWilliams (Rockville, Md./Thomas Sprigg Wootton)' kill would finished the set, 25-22.
 
The second set started with back and forth action between IUP and WV State before the Crimson Hawks built a 17-15 lead. It was 22-19 when WV State started their comeback and eventually leading to an IUP timeout. IUP scored after the break before the Yellowjackets took the lead again, 24-20. A kill by Sova wouldn't do it for IUP as WV State won the set with a kill, 25-21.
 
IUP struck back in the third set having a lead through half of the set until WV State tied the match, 10-10. From there, the set was tight, but attack error by the Yellowjackets and a kill by Kaitlyn Palmer (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) would win the set for IUP, 27-25.
 
The fourth set was tied early on at 4-4 before WV State scored 8 of the 13 points, 9-12. The Crimson Hawks would come back with a consistent lead scoring the next 16 of 17 points ending the match, 25-13.
 
Lauren Hester (State College, Pa. /State College) finished the match with 12 kills finishing with 15 points for IUP. Alexis Anderson (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield) added 9 kills while Jole Hrapla had a team-high 20 digs. Kaitlyn Palmer (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) had 17 digs and added 3 kills. Lindsay Moeller (Troy, Mich./Troy) had 30 assists.
 
The Crimson Hawks will hit the road for their next match as they travel to Millersville to face Lock Haven in a PSAC East/West Crossover on Friday, Sept. 19.