SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Kutztown University women's volleyball team pushed a hungry Shippensburg team to the edge in the opening three sets, but the Raiders rolled through set four to claim a 3-1 win over the Golden Bears in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division match on Friday night at Heiges Field House.

While Kutztown (1-22, 0-9 PSAC East) may have been outmatched by the Raiders (13-11, 7-2 PSAC East), the Golden Bears managed to pressure Shippensburg in the opening sets, including claiming a set two victory and falling short of a set three win by a pair of points. The Raiders, who get back on track with the match victory after losing two straight, picked up the momentum they hope can carry them to the second seed of the PSAC Volleyball Championships.

Kutztown showed great promise in the early goings of the first three sets, leading set one 15-12 before falling 25-19, winning set two by five points, and claiming four of the final six points of set three before the Raiders gained the necessary advantage to claim the set. After giving all their effort in an attempt to take the third set, the Golden Bears were eliminated by Shippensburg, who closed out the final set with an 18-7 run.

Several Golden Bears put on stellar individual performances, led by sophomore Sarah Hess (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield), who managed ten kills and three block assists for Kutztown. Freshman Bryanna Carter (Abingdon, Md./Edgewood) paced the team with 12.5 points, while fellow rookie Christina Lockett (Gaithersburg, Md./Tuscarora) set an efficient .278 hitting percentage with seven kills and nine points on the night. The freshman tandem of Emma Baldridge (Damascus, Md./Damascus) and Saige Thibodeaux (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker) combined for 28 assists in defeat.

KU made another audible at the libero role, with junior Mallory Hoch (Zionsville, Pa./Southern Lehigh) stepping in and leading the team with 14 digs. The Golden Bears performed the best as a team in set three, recording double-digit kills, three blocks and a pair of service aces.

The PSAC Volleyball Championships are beginning to take shape, with Shepherd and Shippensburg leading the East, while Gannon remains perfect in conference play and leads the West.

The road doesn't get easier for the Golden Bears, as they travel to Shepherdstown, W. Va., to face the East-leading Rams of Shepherd University on Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. Kutztown will begin its final homestand with a Friday night battle against Millersville on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.