Lamont Furnace, PA. - The Penn State Greater Allegheny Volleyball team (4-7, 3-2) did something on Sunday that hadn't been done in the team's history. They upset the top team in the Penn State University Athletic Conference defeating Penn State Fayette 3-1 on Sunday.
It was the first time in program history that the Volleyball team defeated Fayette ending a 20 game losing streak that dates all the way back to the 2011-2012 season. In that time span, PSUGA hadnt taken more then one set in any game against Fayette before taking three of four today.
PSUGA showed that they came to play right from the opening serve battling back and forth with Fayette throughout the first set. PSU-Fayette just snuck by with a 25-23 set win, but PSUGA had that competitive spirit and would look to get the momentum back on their side.
The second set saw the same back and forth action with PSUGA and PSU-Fayette trading blows throughout the set. It was still deadlocked near the end of the set before PSUGA called on sophomore Alix Ellis (Derry, PA./Derry Area HS) who finished the set with two big kills giving PSUGA a 25-23 set win and evened things at one set a piece.
It would take a win-by-two scenario in set three as the score sat at 24-24 late in the set. PSUGA would score the final two points of the set and got a 26-24 win and had the advantage 2-1. PSUGA's offense took over the game in the fourth set and finished out the team's first-ever win over Fayette with a 25-17 win, moving them to a 3-2 record in PSUAC play this season.
Ellis led the way having a near perfect day on offense registering a team high 12 kills on 13 total attacks. Freshman Alexa Martell (Elizabeth, PA./Elizabeth Forward HS) also continues to improve picking up 10 kills on 11 total attacks for an .818 hitting percentage. Juliana Brill (Mount Jackson, VA./Stonewall Jackson HS) continued to lead the defense with 14 digs while Sueriah Timsah (Mesquite, TX./West Mesquite HS) added 10 digs on the day.
The win gives PSUGA the momentum on their side and gets them back into the thick of things atop the PSUAC West Standings. They currently sit a half game behind PSU-Beaver for third place and continue to climb the ladder towards their first playoff berth since the 2014 season.
The PSUGA Volleyball team is back in action when they host PSU-New Kensington on Tuesday, September 24th, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.