Devan Orr breaks conference digs record

Pitt-Johnstown+volleyball+members+celebrate+an+ace+against+California+%28Pa.%29+Friday+night+in+their+annual+dig+pink+game.+The+Mountain+Cats+won+3-1%2C+to+improve+to+20-6+overall+and+10-3+in+the+conference.

Ali Single

Pitt-Johnstown volleyball members celebrate an ace against California (Pa.) Friday night in their annual dig pink game. The Mountain Cats won 3-1, to improve to 20-6 overall and 10-3 in the conference.

Cory Geer, Sports Editor

Pitt-Johnstown women’s volleyball team won both of their matches this weekend.

They defeated the California (Pa.) University Vulcans Friday night at the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center, 3-1, in their annual Dig Pink game to raise breast cancer awareness.

Then, Saturday, they rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Seton Hill Griffins, 3-2.

The Mountain Cats improved their record to 20-6 overall and 10-3 in the conference central division.

Pitt-Johnstown senior libero Devan Orr finished with a match-high 31 digs to break the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference career digs record.

The record of 2,682 digs was previously held by Rhianon Brady, who played at Clarion University from 2008-11.

Pitt-Johnstown won the first set 25-21, but the California (Pa.) Vulcans responded with a 25-20 win to knot it at one.

The Mountain Cats found their rhythm and took the third set, defeating the Vulcans 25-15, highlighted by Caitlin Vrabel’s and Cam Wierman’s kills to win the set.

The Vulcans and Mountain Cats traded the lead back and forth before Pitt-Johnstown freshman setter Coco Kordenbrock earned a service ace to make it 20-16.

Pitt-Johnstown closed out the game 25-20 on an Allison Mondorff ace and Noelle Carota’s kill.

Marrisa Erminio and Wierman led the way for the Mountain Cats tying for the match-high with 12 kills apiece to lead Pitt-Johnstown. Erminio also had 15 digs and a block while Wierman added two aces, two blocks and seven digs.

Mondorff led the way with a match-high of 21 set assists, 12 digs and a pair of aces.

After dropping the first two sets 25-21 and 26-24; the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats found their groove to rally back and defeat Seton Hill, 3-2.

In the third set, the Mountain Cats won 25-17, thanks to a Carota kill to put the Mountain Cats up seven points. Wireman’s kill, set up by Mondorff, gave the Mountain Cats the third set win.

In the fourth set, the Mountain Cats kept it going with a 25-22 win. With the score 19-18, a pair of Seton Hill attack errors increased the Mountain Cat lead to 21-18. Seton Hill rallied back to go up 22-21 on a Katie Wenson block.

Down one, the Mountain Cats rallied back to take the fourth set thanks to a Erminio kill.

In the fifth and final set, the Mountain Cats jumped out to an early 5-2 lead. Pitt-Johnstown closed it out 15-12 thanks to kills from Maura Brehl and Erminio.

The Mountain Cats have five games left before the start of postseason play. Each division winner gets an automatic entry into the conference tournament. After that, the best four records make the playoffs.

If the season were to end today, the Mountain Cats would be the No. 4 seed, taking on Indian (Pa.).