CLARION, Pa. – The Golden Eagle volleyball team rallied from one set down to win three straight and take the match, with Clarion defeating Pitt-Johnstown 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-14) at the Student Recreation Center on Friday.  Clarion (15-9, 7-5 PSAC) will try to make it two straight tomorrow afternoon when they host IUP in a 1 p.m. start.
 
The Mountain Cats took advantage of a slow Golden Eagle start to win the first set of the match, but Clarion responded with a close win in the second set and took control thereafter.  After holding on for a 25-23 win in the second set, Clarion expanded the margin of victory to five points in the third set and routed the Mountain Cats in the fourth.
 
Consequently, the team hitting percentage improved set by set for the Golden Eagles.  After hitting just .146 in the first set, Clarion gradually got stronger and ended the set on an offensive tear, hitting .455 in the fourth set.  Julia Holden and Holly Pittman combined for 30 kills – 16 for Holden and 14 for Pittman – and committed just seven errors between the two of them.  Aubrey Wrona added 11 kills and 14 digs, and Lydia Leiner recorded nine kills and four blocks.
 
The Mountain Cats opened a huge lead in the first set and rode it out despite a late Clarion comeback, taking the first set 25-22 and putting the pressure on the Golden Eagles.  Pitt-Johnstown scored three straight points in the second set to take a 19-18 lead, but an error by Tatiana Pitcher opened the door for Clarion to finish them off.  Pittman and Wrona recorded back-to-back kills to put the Golden Eagles ahead 21-19, and Pittman forced set point with a kill at 24-21.  Lauren Gechter's attack error gave Clarion the 25-23 set win and tied the match at 1-1.
 
The Golden Eagles rallied from an early deficit in the third set, turning an 11-9 deficit into a 13-11 advantage in part because of a block by Alexa Cundy and Lauren Aichinger.  Leiner posted back-to-back kills to make it 16-13, and Pittman helped Clarion win the race to 20 with a kill at 20-15.  The Golden Eagles posted blocks on back-to-back points to end the set, with Aichinger factoring into both as Clarion took the 25-20 set win.  They dominated the fourth set, starting on an 8-0 run and never facing a serious threat from the Mountain Cats in a 25-14 set win.