No. 4 Penn State Defeats PSU Greater Allegheny, 3-0

October 1, 2011

UNIONTOWN, Pa. - The Penn State Fayette Roaring Lions volleyball team started October the way they ended September, with a win. The fourth-ranked Roaring Lions (16-3, 8-0) swept Penn State Greater Allegheny during a Saturday matinee, rolling to the 3-0 (25-8, 25-6, 25-14) victory. The Roaring Lions started each set with big runs, jumping out to leads of 11-1, 10-1 and 7-1.

The win marks Fayette's 20th consecutive conference win, including eight to begin this season, and third win over Greater Allegheny in 2011.

Junior Leah Ambrosini (Connellsville, Pa.) led the charge again for the Roaring Lions, notching a game-high 17 kills. Behind her, a balanced attack allowed Fayette to pull away in each set. Sophomores Caitlin Fidel (Perryopolis, Pa.) and Marney Hillen (Connellsville, Pa.), and freshman Samantha Helmantoler (Monongahela, Pa.) added five kills apiece. Freshman Janelle Cooper (Mount Braddock, Pa.) had four kills and a team-high five aces for the Roaring Lions.

Senior Katie Sleasman (Connellsville, Pa.) had a game-high 20 assists, while freshman Emily Konter (Brownsville, Pa.) added seven assists and two aces.

In the first set, Cooper set down a kill to get Fayette on the board before a Lady Lions attack error and an Ambrosini kill made it 3-0. A Roaring Lions error gave Greater Allegheny their first point, but Fayette would take the next eight points on the strength of Cooper's serves. After a Greater Allegheny error made it 4-1, Ambrosini set down two kills before a Cooper ace. Fidel added a kill before two more Ambrosini kills and a Cooper ace made it 11-1. The teams swapped service errors, before a Fayette attack error made it 12-3. The Roaring Lions would go on a 6-0 run to make it 18-3. Hillen added two kills in the run, while Fidel added a kill and Helmantoler notched an ace. Another Fayette service error made it 18-4, but Fidel had a kill for a 19-4 advantage. Greater Allegheny would answer with two straight points, but Cooper would set down a kill before a Lady Lions error made it 21-6. Sleasman added a kill of her own, but Greater Allegheny would answer with a kill. However, the lead was too much and Fayette took three of the next four points, including a Sleasman ace and a Helmantoler kill to end the set, 25-8.

Set two saw more of the same from the Roaring Lions, as they jumped out to an early 10-1 advantage. Freshman Emily Caldwell (Belle Vernon, Pa.) led off the set with aces sandwiched around an Ambrosini kill. Greater Allegheny got a point on a block, but a service error would give Fayette another service chance. Konter would serve the next six Fayette points, including two aces and a kill, to make it 10-1. Ambrosini and freshman Marisa Wallace (Smithfield, Pa.) notched kills during the run. Greater Allegheny would fight back with a kill and ace of their own, but Fayette would end the mini-run quickly, adding a 13-0 run. Ambrosini and Wallace had back-to-back kills, and another Ambrosini kill forced a Greater Allegheny timeout. Sophomore Alaina Weiss (Monongahela, Pa.) served up an ace before freshman Katlyn Salisbury (Madison, Pa.) added a kill. Another Ambrosini kill was followed by three Greater Allegheny errors, giving Fayette an 18-3 advantage. Ambrosini notched three straights kills before a Lady Lions error made it 23-3. Three Fayette attack errors kept the set going, but a Greater Allegheny service error and a Salisbury block finished the set, 25-6 for the hosts.

The Roaring Lions jumped out to a 7-1 lead in set three, including kills from Fidel, Hillen and Helmantoler. Cooper added two aces for Fayette, before a service error and attack error gave Greater Allegheny two quick points. Fidel answered with a kill, but a service error made it 8-4. Ambrosini added a kill, but two straight Lady Lions points cut the Fayette lead to 9-6. Two Greater Allegheny errors were followed by a Cooper kill, but a Roaring Lions service error made it 12-7. Helmantoler and Hillen notched kills as the teams alternated the next four points, but Fayette would pull ahead with three straight points, including a kill and an ace from Cooper. Two Greater Allegheny points sandwiched a Hillen kill to make it 18-11, but Ambrosini put down two more kills before a Helmantoler ace gave Fayette a ten point advantage. Helmantoler followed a Roaring Lions error with a kill, but Greater Allegheny could manage only two more points. Ambrosini set down a kill before a Lady Lions error to make it 24-13. The teams would swap service errors as Fayette finished the third set, 25-14.

Fayette returns to the court on Sunday, Oct. 2 for a Noon serve as they host Penn State New Kensington. The Roaring Lions swept both meetings last season.