INDIANA, Pa. – IUP women's volleyball took control early and finished off a straight-set victory on Friday night at the KCAC.
IUP (19-5, 9-4) continues its quest toward the postseason, wasting little time jumping ahead by two sets before holding off a resilient Pitt-Johnstown (8-20, 1-13) side in the third frame. The Crimson Hawks used a balanced offensive charge in the team's 12th straight-set victory.
IUP appears to be picking up steam at the right time, reeling off three consecutive victories in advance of a showdown with Clarion, who leads the PSAC Western division.
Nicole Peterson ripped down 11 kills with four aces, while
Lauren Valentic added eight kills on a .389 hitting percentage.
UPJ struggled to get things going until the third set, hitting negative with just 10 combined kills through the initial two sets. Lualis Alvarado paced the Mountain Cats with eight kills on the evening.
Leah Henderson had 33 assists for IUP and
Bailey Flowerdew had 14 digs.
The Crimson Hawks raced out to a 10-4 lead in the opening set off a kill from
Grace Mangapora, later expanding the lead to 10 at 18-8 off a UPJ error. Valentic cracked consecutive kills for a 21-8 lead as the Crimson Hawks poured on the final eight points of the stanza.
Two key runs for IUP decided the second set. The Crimson Hawks posted four straight before an 11-0 surge put the frame out of reach. Peterson had three aces in the big run, capped with a kill from
Brooke Little for a 25-12 set victory.
The third set was more tightly contested as IUP opened up a 16-9 advantage. UPJ did not go quietly, working the score tied at 17. The Mountain Cats jumped ahead 23-21 before the Crimson Hawks reeled off the final four points to secure the win.
Valentic and Peterson logged kills in the final stretch as IUP took the set 25-23.
Tonight's match was the Dig Pink game as the program worked to raise funds and awareness for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.
Up Next
IUP hosts Clarion on Saturday, October 29 at 6:00 p.m.
It is Trick or Treat Night at the KCAC and fans are encouraged to put on their Halloween costumes for a festive evening of volleyball.
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPVB.
