CALIFORNIA, Pa. — Edinboro (10-12, 3-7 PSAC) lost to California (PA) (9-16, 3-7 PSAC) 3-2 on Saturday. The Scots won the second and third sets and finished with a .236 hitting percentage, but the Vulcans took the final two sets to close the match.
The Scots started the opening set in front, getting a
Christina Lockett block, a
Reilly Parent kill and a
Faith Schneider service ace during a run to a 6-2 lead. The Fighting Scots later stretched the margin to 16-10 behind kills from Parent and Lockett and a Lockett/DAira Whitner block. Cal answered with six straight points, using kills from Lindsey Scammell and Madelyn Salisbury and an Olivia Weiseman ace to move ahead 20-19 before
Maggie Koster's kill tied the set at 20-20. The Vulcans scored the next four points to reach 24-20, and although Parent's kill and a
Suncica Lekic ace brought the Scots within 24-22, Salisbury closed the set with a kill for a 25-22 Cal win.
The Scots moved in front 4-1 with kills by Parent,
Taylor Pucky and DAira Whitner, and Pucky later served consecutive aces to make it 10-4. The Vulcans cut the margin to 17-15 with a block and a Madelyn Salisbury kill, but Pucky answered with a kill to begin seven straight Scots points. Parent, Lekic and Pucky added kills during the closing push, and after Cal got one point back, Parent finished the set with a kill from
Laney Burns for a 25-16 win.
Cal moved ahead 5-2 in the third set before DAira Whitner put down two kills and joined Lekic on a block as the Scots worked back to a 5-5 tie. After the Vulcans went back in front 6-5, Whitner tied it with another kill and Lekic followed with a kill for a 7-6 Scots lead, though the teams continued to trade points through a 9-9 tie. The Fighting Scots created separation with a
Maggie Koster kill and two Cal attack errors for a 12-9 lead, then stayed in front as Parent, Pucky and Koster helped keep the margin at 21-18.
Grace Petro served the final four points, including back-to-back aces, and Lockett finished the set with a kill for a 25-18 Scots win.
The Scots started the fourth set with a Parent kill from Petro and a Cal error for a 2-0 lead, and
Suncica Lekic's kill later put the Fighting Scots in front 4-3. Cal scored the next four points, including an Olivia Weiseman kill and a Molly Smiddy ace, to move ahead 7-4, then stretched the margin to 10-5 before the Scots got points on a block by Koster and Lekic and a Cal attack error. After the Scots pulled within 11-8 on a block by Parent and Lockett, Cal put together five straight points for a 16-8 lead. DAira Whitner, Parent and Koster added kills down the stretch, but the Vulcans stayed in front and closed the set 25-17 on a Kaiya Lian kill.
After the teams traded points to 2-2 in the fifth set, Cal moved ahead 4-2 on a Scots attack error and a service ace before
Taylor Pucky's kill pulled the Scots within 4-3. The teams were separated by one again at 5-4, but Cal scored four straight points, getting three kills from Madelyn Salisbury and one from Olivia Weiseman to build a 9-4 lead. Parent stopped that stretch with a kill, but the Vulcans answered with five straight points to reach 14-5. The Scots fought off four set points behind a Parent kill, a Lockett and DAira Whitner block, and two Cal attack errors before Kasie Meek's kill closed the set at 15-9.
Parent led the Scots with 21 kills and 22.0 points while adding 16 digs and two block assists. Pucky finished with 13 kills, 14 digs and a team-high three service aces. Petro recorded a team-best 30 assists with six digs and two aces. Schneider collected a team-high 24 digs and added five assists.
Up next, the Fighting Scots host Slippery Rock University on Friday, Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. at McComb Fieldhouse in Edinboro, Pa.
