INDIANA, Pa. -- After picking up victories in the first two sets, Mercyhurst was unable to close out the win at IUP, falling by a 3-2 count (23-25, 13-25, 25-21, 26-24, 15-13).

The Lakers raced to a victory in set two thanks to a 14-2 run and almost took the fourth straight when they rallied for nine-straight points to take a 24-22 lead.  In the final set, IUP registered a 4-0 run to end the set and the match.

Becky Leusch tallied a game-high 17 kills while Chelsea Jensen added 11 and Justine Smith also finished in double-digits with 10 kills.  Leusch finished with a .567 attack percentage and added a team-high four blocks to help out the defense.  Setter Julia Butler added 44 assists and chipped in on defense with 13 digs.  Kendal Ashworth paced the defense with a game-high 21 digs.

IUP moves to 15-11 overall, 8-5 in the PSAC while the Lakers are 17-8 overall, 8-5 in the PSAC and tied with the Crimson Hawks for fifth place in the Western Division.

The Lakers are next in action on Oct. 23 when they travel to Clarion for a 7 p.m. start.