Women’s Volleyball picks up first AMCC win of the season over Pitt Greensburg

PITTSBURGH --- Carlow University women's volleyball snapped a five game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Pitt Greensburg to record its first Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference victory of the season Wednesday.

Carlow (7-15, 1-5 AMCC) won the first and second sets, 25-17 and 25-23, before falling in the third set, 25-20. The Celtics rallied to win the fourth set, 25-15.

Carlow was riding a wave of emotion after finding out earlier in the day they landed a bid as the No. 6 seed in the USCAA Division I Championship. The energy of that announcement carried over into the game, where the Celtics hit .213 with a season-high 56 kills.

Alison Humberston (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands HS) led the attack, hitting .386 with a game-high 20 kills. Rebecca Hess (New Alexandria, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) tallied another double-double with 14 kills and 16 digs, while Javonna Perkins (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) added 11 kills and four blocks. Hess also landed three of Carlow's seven service aces on the night. Sarah Porter (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway HS) added a double-double of her own with 24 assists and 10 digs, and Emily Hess (New Alexandria, Pa./River Valley HS) recorded 20 assists.

Although the Celtics held the Bobcats (3-23, 2-4 AMCC) to just six kills in the first set, Pitt Greensburg maintained a lead through much of the set.

A Bobcats service error handed the ball back to Carlow with the Celtics trailing, 17-16. A big kill from Humberston tied the game at 17-all and catalyzed a 9-0 run that ended the game, 25-17, in favor of the Celtics.

Carlow jumped out to a 7-1 advantage to start the second set and led 15-9 before Pitt Greensburg began to claw its way back. The Bobcats went on a 5-1 run to trail by one and prompted a Carlow timeout.

The Celtics maintained a tenuous lead throughout the remainder of the match, with a service ace putting the Bobcats within one, 24-23. Rebecca Hess landed a big kill following Carlow's second timeout to win the second set, 25-23.

Carlow scored three quick points to begin the third set, and Pitt Greensburg answered with four of its own to take the lead. Although the Celtics tied the game twice early on, the Bobcats steadily pulled ahead, taking advantage of eight Carlow errors and hitting .229 to win the third set, 25-20.

The Celtics wasted no time getting out to a 10-4 lead in the fourth set. Carlow strung together several small runs throughout the set to maintain a comfortable lead and scored four points in a row to end the set, 25-15, and the match.

Madison Friess led the Bobcats with a double-double 11 kills and 11 digs, and Alanna Meloy added 15 digs in the effort.

The Celtics travel to Pitt Bradford for a 3 p.m. AMCC match Nov. 2.