KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Paced by a combined 35 kills from Brittney Moyer (Orwigsburg, Pa./Blue Mountain (Lock Haven)) and Holly Owen (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), the Kutztown University women's volleyball team defeated the West Chester University Golden Rams 3-1 on Friday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action inside of Keystone Arena. 
 
KU's (8-11, 2-8 PSAC) win over WCU (17-5, 6-4 PSAC) was its first since the 2012 season, snapping a streak of 11 straight losses to West Chester. 
 
Kutztown got out to a fast start against the Golden Rams, taking a 10-5 early lead on its way to a 25-19 opening set victory. Moyer was outstanding the opening frame, totaling seven of Kutztown's 13 kills in the frame. However, WCU showed its fight in set two, building an early advantage of its own. Using this margin, the Golden Rams saw their lead to the finish line, tying the match at 1-1 via a 25-21 set two win. 
 
The Maroon and Gold then trailed 7-2 to begin the third set as it seemed West Chester had gained the momentum in the match. Suddenly, Kutztown swung the pendulum back in its favor as the Golden Bears ripped off five unanswered points to even the frame at 7-7. KU used this to propel itself, jumping all over WCU in set three, holding a lead as large as seven as the set came to a close. A Niki Carpenter (King of Prussia, Pa./Upper Merion Area) kill put the finishing touches on the frame in KU's favor by a 25-16 final, giving the Maroon and Gold a 2-1 advantage in the match. 
 
Set four, which proved to be the deciding frame, was the most back-and-forth of the evening and saw KU clinging to a slim two-point lead, ahead 17-15. The Golden Bears then showed their ability to finish, despite feeling the pressure that comes with a potential upset, using an 8-5 run to finish off West Chester, taking the set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1. 
 
Owen and Moyer totaled 18 and 17 kills, respectively, as the KU outside attack was firing on all cylinders. Lilly Charlton (Landenberg, Pa./Avon Grove) added five kills on ten attacks, leading the Maroon and Gold with a .500 attack percentage. Charlton also posted six block assists to anchor Kutztown's net defense, which totaled 9.0 blocks. 
 
Amanda Meck (Fleetwood, Pa./Fleetwood Area) totaled a career-high 26 assists to lead the setting effort while Abbey James (York, Pa./West York Area) notched 15 in support. Both setters played an integral part in providing hittable balls which led to Kutztown's .194 team attack percentage, its highest in PSAC play this season. KU only totaled two service aces, but made just three service errors, being both smart, but aggressive. 
 
Sydney Wilson (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) racked up a team-high 22 digs, providing solid defense and serve receive play throughout the match. 
 
Kutztown will take on the Millersville Marauders in search of its second straight win tomorrow, Oct. 13, at 1 p.m. as part of the Homecoming festivities on campus.