Box Score



Box Score

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's volleyball team made a statement victory Friday night in the first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division contest of the 2014 season, triumphing over the reigning PSAC champions University of Pitt-Johnstown with a 20-18 win in the fifth set from the UPJ Sports Arena.
 
Kutztown (6-5, 1-4 PSAC) took the first, third, and fifth sets (25-19, 25-22, 20-18), while the Mountain Cats (6-4, 2-3 PSAC) were victorious in the even numbered sets (25-7, 25-20).
 
In the fifth set, Kutztown was two points shy of victory (13-10), forcing UPJ to call a timeout. The tide turned and outlook started to look glim for the Golden Bears as UPJ rallied off four-straight points to bring up match point (14-13). A service error by the Mountain Cats evened things back up and the two squads traded blows until an 18-18 tie. Setter Anna Conti (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City) was able to set up Audrey Stringer (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) and Aly York (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) for the final two kills to secure the set and match.
 
Friday night marks the first win over UPJ by the Golden Bears since a 3-1 victory on Sept. 7, 2002. Last season, the Maroon and Gold struggled with UPJ, losing 3-1 and 3-0. The Mountain Cats joined the PSAC last year and capped off its inaugural season hoisting the first-place trophy.
 
The Maroon and Gold featured a balance attack to get the impressive win with four players recording double-digit kills. Danielle Van Buren (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley) extended her streak to five-straight games leading the Kutztown squad in kills. The senior tallied 13 tonight, including five in the opening set. Chelsea Braga (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach (Fairleigh Dickinson)), Stringer, and York all contributed 11 kills to the effort.
 
Conti dished out 40 assists, her third-highest mark this season, and ranked second on the team with 14 digs.
 
Emily Kopinski (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) and Madison Brake (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) recorded the only two service aces for KU, while Kopinski led the way with 15 digs and Brake was right behind with 13.
 
Kutztown won the defensive battle at the net recording eight blocks to UPJ's six, led by Stringer with five block assists. Braga tallied three, and the duo of York and Van Buren contributed two each.
 
Kendall Mahony threw down 15 kills for the Mountain Cats, while Devan Orr worked for an impressive 31 digs.
 
The Maroon and Gold will have a quick turnaround, hitting the road again tonight to square off against Lock Haven University tomorrow, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.