by Casey Burinskas

YORK, Pa. – On Thursday night, the Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team was on the road against non-conference opponent York College, and the Lions suffered a 3-0 loss to the host Spartans in the Charles Wolf Gymnasium.

York (5-4) took care of Penn State Altoona (2-7) in three sets by scores of 25-21, 25-23, and 25-16.

Lia Simanski (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle) put up a team-best 13 points for Penn State Altoona, getting 11 kills and two service aces to go along with nine digs. Hannah Swank (Boswell, PA/Conemaugh Township) added six points on six kills.

Julia Emel (Woodward, PA/Penns Valley) finished with a match-high 23 assists while adding 10 digs.

Brianna Woodring (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle-Antrim) tallied a team-leading 13 digs.

Penn State Altoona came out strong in the opening set against York, with early kills from Makiya Mack (Philipsburg, PA/West Branch), Simanski, and Ella Hadley (Spring Mills, PA/Penns Valley), along with two service aces by Simanski, that gave Altoona a brief 8-5 lead. The Spartans went on a 6-0 run after that to seize an 11-8 advantage, while the Lions used aces from Woodring and Hadley to slow York down and stay within three points, 16-13. After a timeout, Altoona continued putting up points as Simanski provided kills to even the score at 19-19. York answered with blocks at the net to get back into the game, pulling ahead 21-19 before the Lions called for a timeout. Back into the game, Altoona gained momentum again with kills from Simanski and Mack, set up by Emel, to tie things at 21-21. However, York closed the set with four straight points, which allowed them to pull away with a 25-21 win.

The second set was a battle from start to finish, with Altoona getting early kills from Maggie Brewer (NuMine, PA/West Shamokin) and Simanski to give the Lions a 6-5 lead. A block by Kyla Campell (Altoona, PA/Great Commission) and Brewer pushed Altoona ahead 13-7, but York responded quickly by stringing together kills to close the gap to 13-12. Kills by Simanski and Brewer helped the Lions regain their strength to make it 17-13, but York fought back to tie the score at 21-21. Emel set up a kill by Swank to put Altoona back on top, 22-21, but York again battled back. With the Lions up 23-22, the Spartans sealed the win on three straight kills to end the second set with a score of 25-23 to pull away 2-0.

The Lions battled early in the third set, with Mack putting up a service ace and Brewer and Simanski having kills to keep Altoona within one point of York's lead, 5-4. Jayden Ulmer (Williamsport, PA/Williamsport) added a kill, and Swank came into the game with two points to help the Lions stay within five, 13-8. But the Spartans steadily took control, forcing errors and stringing together kills to create a 17-10 lead. Altoona tried to fight back with kills from Mack and Swank, along with a block by Morgan Fussell (Blairsville, GA/Union County) and Ulmer that slowed York briefly. Still, the Spartans maintained pressure, extending their lead to 23-15, and York closed it out with consecutive points to secure the 25-16 decision and take the match with a 3-0 victory.

Next up, the Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team will play in a tri-match at Susquehanna University this Saturday, September 20. The Lions will play York again for redemption at 2 p.m. that day before facing off against host Susquehanna at 4 p.m.