ERIE, Pa. – Alyssa Samarco (Plum, PA/Plum) recorded her ninth double-double of the season with a game-high 13 kills to go with 14 digs to lead Penn State Behrend women's volleyball team past Thiel 3-0 in non-conference action on Thursday night.

Hannah Saunders (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward) tallied a team-best 26 assists, 19 digs and three assists to help the Lions (11-3) post a thrilling 25-14, 33-31 and 25-21 victory over the Tomcats (5-11).

Behrend came out ready in the first set, finishing with a nine-point win. The Lions pulled away at 17-10 behind a two Meredith Snyder (Parker, PA/Allegheny Clarion Valley) kills and a Maddie Auld (Peters Township, PA/Peters Township) ace. Snyder served six straight points to get Behrend a 23-14 lead. Samarco and Jordan Harakal (Peters Township, PA/Peters Township) finished the set with kills for a 25-14 decision.

In a wild second set that was tied a total of 13 times, including eight times after the score stood at 24-all. The Lions trailed in the middle of the match, but worked hard to fight back and it paid off in the end. The sea-saw battle ended with a kills from Snyder to make it 31-all, before an attack error on Thiel gave Behrend its third match point. Paige Scurpa (Sharpsville, PA/Sharpsville) knocked down the final kills at 33-31 for a 2-0 lead. Scurpa led that set with five kills, while Saunders had eight digs and four kills.

The third set was close like the second, except Behrend forced three attack errors and Samarco posted a kill for a 25-21 win. Samarco had her best game in the third, recording six kills on eight attempts.

Courtney Hopson (Erie, PA/McDowell) and Allania Banta (Waterford, PA/Fort LeBoeuf) also registered double-digit digs for the Lions with 12 and 10, respectively.

The Lions return to action on Saturday at Pitt-Greensburg for an AMCC tri-match with Mt. Aloysius. Matches begin at 10 a.m.