Greensburg, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford women's volleyball team brought its regular season to a close on Saturday, as it took on Pitt-Greensburg away from home. The Panthers dominated early and swept the Bobcats in three to secure a trip to the AMCC Championship Tournament.
The Panthers dominated the first two sets, winning the opener 25-12 and the 2nd set 25-12. The Bobcats battled in the final set of the match, but the Panthers emerged victorious after a 25-22 win.
The Panthers dropped three quick points to start the match, but found an immediate answer, rolling off 5 straight to double up the Bobcats. Ryley Pago combined on a pair of blocks and had a kill in the early moments. Following an exchange of sideouts, the Panthers grabbed control of the set with a 6-1 run, led by 4 Alycia Wilson kills. Leading 18-11, Lilly Bentley served the Panthers to a 6-0 run that included 2 aces and 3 Ruby Smith kills. Smith added one more point before Brookelyn Bellavia ended the set with a spike.
In set two, the Panthers jumped into the lead from the start, scoring 5 of the first 6 points. Pitt-Bradford used a Bowman ace and kills by Bentley and Smith in the rally. The Panthers slowly added to their lead until Brooke DeYoe stepped up to the service line and led the Panthers to 5 straight. Jenna Louser put down two kills in the run, while Wilson had one, and DeYoe recorded an ace. Armed with a 10-point advantage, the Panthers were able to coast to a set win that was closed by two more Louser spikes.
In set three, the Panthers built an early lead, but could not break away from the Bobcats. Eventually, the Bobvats put together a rally scoring 8 of 9 points to go ahead 16-10. Alyssa Spang recorded a solo block down 17-12 that started a big Panther rally. Baylee Fitzsimmons started a 4-point run with an ace, and then after their run was slowed, Smith and Louser put down back-to-back kills to tie the set at 19. The teams exchanged side outs to remain tied at 22, but three straight kills from Spang, Wilson, and Bentley ended the match.
The Panthers were extremely efficient in the win, hitting .337 as a team. Alycia Wilson led the way with 13 kills. Lillian Bentley and Jenna Louser each hit .500 in the game, finishing with 10 and 9 kills each. Ruby Smith also added 9 kills. Marissa Bowman tallied 38 assists, while Danielle Sasuga led the back line with 20 digs.
The Panthers finish their regular season with an 18-10 record, including a 4-4 mark in AMCC play. They have finished the season tied with LaRoche in 5th place in the AMCC standings with a 4-4 mark. Unfortunately, the Panthers fell 3-2 to the Redhawks during the season, so Pitt-Bradford falls to the 6th seed. They will take on the #3 seed, Penn State-Behrend, in the first round of the AMCC Tournament. Their first round game is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 12th at 7:00 p.m. in Penn State-Behrend's Junker Center.
