CLARION, Pa. – IUP senior Jessica Ignace had 10 kills and four total blocks but a poor team offensive performance doomed the Crimson Hawks in a three-set loss at Clarion Saturday afternoon.
 
Ignace herself had her 10 kills on 23 total attacks with five errors to hit .217 on the day. Her four block assists gave her 12.0 total points for the match. Freshman Nicole Peterson added a team-high 11 kills on a .219 hitting percentage.
 
However, the Crimson Hawks hit just .084 as a team while Clarion hit nearly .200. With the loss IUP split its road weekend and fell to 6-16 overall and 5-8 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).  
 
The Golden Eagles won by scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-23. They improved to 16-9 overall and 8-5 in the league.
 
In the opening set Clarion led 17-12 until Gia Cannavino served the Crimson Hawks back into it, tying the score at 18-18. Later, an ace by Leah Henderson cut Clarion's lead to 21-20 but a Golden Eagles' timeout catapulted them to a four-point win.
 
Clarion took that momentum into the second set, never trailing in the eight-point win.
 
IUP battled back in the third set to take several leads, going on top 19-16 with three straight points on serves from Dominica Niccolai. A kill by Ignace a few points later kept IUP's lead at three at 20-17, but a 4-1 Clarion run tied the set at 21-all and the Golden Eagles scored three of the final four points to earn the match win.
 
Up next
The Crimson Hawks are still alive for a postseason spot entering the final two weeks of the regular season. They have six matches left on the schedule, including a pivotal home stand next weekend with matches against Edinboro, Mercyhurst and Gannon.
 
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