CLARION, Pa. — Clarion (12-14, 6-6 PSAC) edged out the Pitt-Johnstown (15-9, 6-6 PSAC) in a thrilling five-set match on Saturday at Tippin Gymnasium, winning 3-2 (23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 19-25, 15-11) in a crucial PSAC West contest on Senior Day.
The capped a perfect 2-0 weekend for the Golden Eagles, who beat IUP on Friday night by a 3-0 score. Clarion evened their conference record at 6-6 heading into the last weekend of the season and kept their conference tournament hopes alive at the expense of the Mountain Cats, against whom they now hold a head-to-head tiebreaker.
The teams split the first four sets, with Clarion taking the second and third sets while the Mountain Cats claimed the first and fourth sets. In the decisive fifth set, the Golden Eagles overcame an early deficit to seize control against UPJ. Although the Mountain Cats initially led 2-0, Clarion surged back as
Raegan Stader recorded multiple kills, leveling the score at 7-7.
Macee Anway's service ace further fueled the rally as Clarion edged ahead.
Continuing to build momentum,
Claire Bickett contributed with a crucial kill, and
Addy Turek's solo block against Natalie Lippincott helped Clarion maintain a 12-11 lead. Clarion pulled away with a series of points, including a service ace by
Lauren Fjerstad that brought the score to 14-11. Stader's final kill secured a 15-11 victory.
Stader led Clarion with 20 kills on 45 attempts, achieving a .289 hitting percentage, and contributed a total of 20 points.
Marisa Markou facilitated the team's offense by amassing 32 assists and added 13 digs for a double-double.
Haley Fledderjohann was a defensive standout, recording 34 digs across five sets. Turek bolstered the defense with six total blocks, including one solo block and five block assists.
Clarion commenced the first set with a solid start, as
Finley Kearney and
Natalie Karrick contributed to an early 1-0 lead with a block against UPJ. The set remained closely contested, with Clarion capitalizing on opponent errors and securing points through the efforts of Karrick and
Claire Bickett. UPJ maintained the pressure, responding to each Clarion surge. Clarion made a late push, tying the score at 23-23 with a kill by Bickett, but a service error and subsequent attack error closed the set with UPJ leading 25-23.
The second set opened with Clarion gaining momentum after an initial deficit. Kearney's early kills, assisted by Markou, helped to level the score. Clarion then capitalized on a series of attack errors by the Mountain Cats, and Bickett added to the lead with consecutive kills. Karrick and Bickett continued the offensive push, extending the home team's advantage to 9-3.
UPJ narrowed the gap with a brief scoring run, but Clarion maintained control with timely kills from Stader and Kearney. Despite a late push from the Mountain Cats, which tied the score at 24-24, Clarion finalized the set through a service error by the visitors and a decisive kill by
Emily Klopp to make it 26-24. Clarion continued to build momentum in the third set, with
Karlee Berchtold and
Addy Turek contributing key points, pushing the score to 15-12 midway through. Despite a brief rally by UPJ, Clarion maintained composure, with Stader delivering multiple kills to keep the team ahead. The set concluded as Clarion held steady under pressure. Markou's scored a dump kill to force match point, and an attack error by UPJ's Caroline Knight sealed the set at 25-23. The Mountain Cats forced a decisive fifth set with a win in the fourth, posting a 25-19 score.
