INDIANA, Pa. – Junior
Natalie Cignetti (Indiana, Pa. /Indiana) had 16 kills and senior
Lindsay Moeller (Troy, Mich./Troy) dished out 46 assists, but IUP women's volleyball couldn't come away with a win in the final set in a 3-2 loss to visiting Gannon on Saturday afternoon at the Kovalchick Complex.
Cignetti added 15 digs to tally her ninth double-double of the season. It was the fourth 40-assist outing for Moeller this year.
IUP took the opening set 26-24 before dropping each of the next two by scores of 25-21 and 25-19, as Gannon looked to take the match in four. The Crimson Hawks rallied for a 25-17 set four win before the Lady Knights clinched the win with a 15-5 victory in the fifth.
It was the second loss of the weekend for the Crimson Hawks, who fell to 13-4 overall and 4-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Gannon improved to 16-2 and 5-1.
IUP led nearly the entire opening set, although Gannon clawed back to take a 24-23 lead. A Gannon error, plus kills by freshman
Jessica Ignace (South Lyon, Mich./South Lyon) and junior
Alexis Anderson (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield) sealed the early win.
The Golden Knights controlled set two and the Crimson Hawks came right back to take a 10-8 lead in the third set. Gannon responded with a 4-1 run and later scored five straight points to take a 23-16 lead as they took a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Gannon again took the lead in the fourth set, going up 9-8 until IUP went on a 7-2 run to take a 15-11 lead. With the Golden Knights threatening a run later in the game, the Crimson Hawks shut them down by scoring six straight to help close out the set.
The final set was dominated by Gannon, as the Golden Knights used an 8-1 run to pull away and earn the win.
The Crimson Hawks hit .114 on the day by totaled 12 team blocks. Ignace had five total blocks to go along with nine kills. Senior
Lily McWilliams (Rockville, Md./Thomas Sprigg Wootton) had 11 kills and four total blocks, and Cignetti added four blocks – including two solo – to go along with her 16 kills. Sophomore
Jess Marut (Painesville, Ohio/Riverside) helped the IUP defensive effort with 20 digs, her ninth match of 20-plus this year.
IUP is back at home on Tuesday night, opening its divisional schedule against Clarion at 7 p.m.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPVB.
