ALTOONA, Pa. – The Mount Aloysius College women's volleyball team fell on the road to first-place Penn State Altoona on Tuesday evening, dropping a 3-0 decision (17-25, 16-25, 23-25) inside Adler Arena. Despite a competitive third set, the Mounties were unable to overcome the conference-leading Lions, who improved to 19-5 overall and 12-1 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) play.
With the loss, Mount Aloysius falls to 12-11 overall and 5-8 in conference action, setting up a crucial regular-season finale on Saturday with postseason positioning hanging in the balance.
Penn State Altoona came out strong in the opening set, using an efficient offensive attack to establish control. The Lions recorded 15 kills while hitting .244, compared to seven kills for the Mounties. Despite several efforts to remain within striking distance, Mount Aloysius struggled to find consistency offensively as Altoona claimed the opening frame, 25-17.
The second set proved challenging for the Mounties, who were limited to six kills while committing 12 attacking errors. Although the Lions managed just nine kills of their own, they capitalized on Mount Aloysius' offensive struggles to take the set, 25-16, and build a commanding 2-0 advantage in the match.
Facing a two-set deficit, Mount Aloysius responded with its strongest offensive performance of the evening in the third frame. The Mounties recorded a match-high 13 kills in the set and battled the conference leaders throughout the closing stages. However, Penn State Altoona held off the late push to secure a narrow 25-23 victory, completing the three-set sweep.
Mackenzie Barr (Pittsburgh, Pa., Shaler) led the Mounties offensively with seven kills while adding four digs and two block assists. Jada McGill (Fishertown, Pa, Chestnut Ridge) followed with five kills, three digs, a service ace, and a block assist, contributing 6.5 points.
Kelsey Dye (Newport, Ohio, Frontier) provided an efficient performance at the net, recording four kills on 10 attempts with just one error for a team-best .300 hitting percentage. Dye also led the Mounties defensively at the net with four total blocks, including two solo stops and two block assists, finishing with seven points.
Jasmine Coble (Lewisberry, Pa., Red Land) made an impact in limited action, recording two kills on five attempts without an error for a .400 hitting percentage while adding two block assists.
Defensively, libero Madison Barr (Pittsburgh, Pa., Shaler) continued her strong season with a team-high 17 digs, along with three assists and a service ace. Maya McIlwain (Rural Valley, Pa, West Shamokin) added 12 digs and an ace, while Ava Patton (Bellwood, Pa, Bellwood-Antis) contributed nine digs. Setter Reghyn Wilson (Harrisburg, Pa., Bishop McDevitt) led the Mounties with 10 assists and seven digs, while Kiersten Cummings (Las Vegas, Nev, Nevada State) chipped in six assists and five digs.
As a team, Mount Aloysius finished with 26 kills, 20 assists, 61 digs, three service aces, and six total blocks. The Mounties held a 61-57 advantage in digs and matched the Lions with six blocks apiece, but offensive efficiency ultimately proved to be the difference. Penn State Altoona finished with 34 kills and a .155 hitting percentage, compared to a -.040 mark for Mount Aloysius.
The Lions were led by Lia Simanski, who recorded a match-high 13 kills, while Hannah Swank added seven kills and 14 digs. Julia Emel directed the Altoona offense with 15 assists.
Playoff Implications Loom in Regular-Season Finale
With just one match remaining in the regular season, Mount Aloysius finds itself in a tightly contested race for positioning in the upcoming AMCC Tournament.
The Mounties currently sit at 5-8 in conference play, tied with Hilbert College for fifth place in the standings. Although the Hawks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after defeating Mount Aloysius in both regular-season meetings, the Mounties possess the tiebreaker over La Roche University, which currently sits at 6-7 in conference action.
With several teams separated by just one match in the standings, Saturday's regular-season finale could have significant implications for the Mounties' postseason future. A victory would officially clinch a berth in the AMCC Tournament and could potentially move Mount Aloysius as high as the No. 4 seed, depending on the results of other conference matchups.
Mount Aloysius will return home on Saturday, November 7, to host Carlow University (0-22, 0-13 AMCC) for Senior Day inside the Athletic, Convocation and Wellness Center (ACWC). The Mounties will look to close out the regular season on a high note, honor their senior class, and secure a higher seed in the conference tournament.
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