ERIE, Pa. – Rachel Frye (Leechburg, PA/Kiski) hit .421 with a game-high 17 kills on 38 attempts with one error to lead Penn State Behrend women's volleyball past Medaille 3-2 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action on Wednesday night.
Paige Scurpa (Sharpsville, PA/Sharpsville) shined on senior night, recording a double-double with 27 digs and 12 kills to help the Lions (13-14, 3-5 AMCC) keep their playoff hopes alive with five-set victory (23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-9) over the Mavericks (6-19, 3-5 AMCC).
Kylie McSwaney (Greensburg, PA/Greensburg Salem) was the third Behrend player with double-digit kills, posting a season-best 13 to go with six blocks. Hannah Saunders (Elizabeth, PA/Elizabeth Forward) also had a double-double with 30 assists and 19 digs.
Medaille took advantage of six service errors and six attack errors to take the early lead with a 25-23 set-one victory.
Unfazed by the close first set, Behrend bounced back and never trailed in the second for a 25-19 win to even the match. The Lions started with a 7-2 run and kept a five-point lead until their first timeout at 16-11. Behrend won the three of the next four points for its largest lead at 19-12. Frye, knocked down six of the 12 kills in the set, including the final two offensive points scored by the Lions.
The third set was nearly identical to the first and going in favor of the Mavericks by a 25-23 score, but Behrend forced a decisive fifth set thanks to a 25-22 win in the fourth. Never relinquishing the lead, the Lions were faced with four set points and won with a kill from McSwaney.
Behrend forced five attack errors in the beginning of the fifth set, two from blocks by McSwaney, for a 10-6 lead. After a Medaille timeout, Scurpa, Saunders, and Amanda Henry (Bridgeville, PA/South Fayette) each tallied a kill and Jordan Harakal (Peters Twp., PA/Peters Township) served up an ace, before Frye secured the win with her 17th kill of the night.
Scurpa also added a team-best three aces, while Lexi Irwin (Greensburg, PA/Hempfield) registered 16 assists, 12 digs and five kills.
The Lions return to action on Saturday at Mt. Aloysius for the final regular-season match, beginning at 1 p.m.
