CRESSON, Pa. -- On Saturday, the Mount Aloysius Women's Volleyball team opened their home portion of the 2024 season, hosting Albright College and Penn State Mont Alto in a tri-match. The Mounties (2-3) played well enough to earn a victory in both contests, dropping just one set on the day.

In Game One against Penn State Mont Alto, the Mounties came out in dominating fashion, opening up a 14-4 lead. While the Nittany Lions closed the gap to five points, 23-18, Mount Aloysius finished off the set to win, 25-18. They tallied 16 kills in the first set alone, while Penn State Mont Alto only had 14 sets in the entire game.

Set number two saw a similar stretch for the Mounties, as they led by as many as eight points, finishing with a 25-17 victory. Molly Richards (Naples, Fla. / Naples) ended the set for the Mounties, with a kill followed by two consecutive service aces, to win in convincing style. Then, in the third set, Mont Alto kept it close, with an 18-15 score. However, Mount Aloysius scored seven of the next eight points, to give them their biggest set margin of the game, 25-16, and a 3-0 victory.

Richards led the Mounties in Game One with 16 kills to go along with 11 digs. Madison Barr (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) had a game-high, 16 digs, to lead the team defensively. Sophomore setter, Reghyn Wilson (Harrisburg, Pa. / Bishop McDevitt), had a career-high, 22 assists in the victory.

After a mid-day break, the Mounties returned to the court to take on Albright. The Lions won their first game of the day, beating Penn State Mont Alto in four sets.

In the opening set, Mount Aloysius jumped ahead and grabbed a 13-5 advantage. The run was fueled by four kills by Matie Rupp (York, Pa. / West York). Rupp finished the game with eight kills and just two errors. Albright would make the set interesting though, crawling to within one point, at 20-19. The Mounties responded, scoring the next four points and ultimately taking set number one, 25-20.

The second set saw drama, as neither team led by more than two points through the first 36 points, as they were knotted at 18. Albright would then score four straight points, followed by four straight Mountie markers, tying the game again at 22. With the Mounties holding a 25-24 lead, they committed three consecutive errors to drop the set, 27-25, and even the match at one set a piece.

The momentum did not hinder the Mounties, as they opened up the third set scoring 11 of the first 13 points. They continued to grow the lead, leading the Lions by as many as 12 points, on the way to a 25-16 victory and a 2-1 advantage in the match.

In the fourth set, the teams split the first two points, then each scored six straight points, tying the set up at seven. Mount Aloysius scored five of the next six points to open up a 12-8 lead. While Albright kept the match close, the Mounties never again relinquished the lead, earning a 25-21 fourth set win, giving them a 3-1 match victory.

Mackenzie Barr (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) led the Mounties in Game Two, with 19 kills. She also added four aces. Richards had a double-double, with 11 kills and 22 digs, while Madison Barr had another game-high, 26 digs. Kaylee Smith (Altoona, Pa. / Altoona) also had an impressive performance for the Mounties, with 10 kills and just one error, leading the team with a .450 hitting percentage.

Mount Aloysius bounced back from a tough opening weekend, to win both games and improve to 2-3. They will be back at home, on Tuesday, when they host Lycoming. The Warriors enter Tuesday's match with a 2-3 record, having split their two contests on Saturday. The match is set to start at 6:00 p.m.