KUTZTOWN, Pa. - After dropping their last two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference games the Mercyhurst volleyball team got back on track on Sunday afternoon with a 3-0 win over the Golden Bears of Kutztown University at Keystone Arena.

The first set started out rather tight as a kill from Lilly Charlton made it 5-3 for the home team.  Mercyhurst came back with kills by Madison Kasper and Alyssa Zirnheld along with an assisted block from Leah Kern and Kasper to grab a 7-5 lead.  Kutztown used a 5-1 run getting just one kill by Britney Hewitt to reclaim a two-point edge 10-8.  Claire Kenny, Tess Ganich, Addy Benjamin, and Zirnheld helped the Lakers to earn seven of the next ten to go back ahead 15-13.  The lead stayed at two all the way to 18-16, before Zoe Gadomski, Kasper and Zirnheld helped the visitors to set point 24-17.  Kutztown did not go away as Haylee Holsopple, Alli Henderson, and Hewitt amassed a 5-0 push to close the gap to 24-22.  Zirnheld made sure the hosts got not closer as she pounded down the final kill for the 25-22 win.  

Mercyhurst stormed out to a 6-2 lead in the second thanks to scores from Katie Baird, Hannah Vuylsteke, Ganich, and Benjamin.  A kill by Charlton pulled the Golden Bears to within 9-6.  Over the ensuing 16-points the two sides would share the spoils as a kill by Kern maintained the three-point advantage 14-11.  That seemed to spark the Lakers as Kern, Kasper, Baird, and Gadomski put together a 4-1 charge to extend the lead to six 18-12.  A kill and ace off the arm of Holly Owen made it 18-14, before Zirnheld, Kern, Benjamin, Kasper, and Kenny opened the advantage to 23-15.  Zirnheld gave Mercyhurst set point 24-16, however, the Golden Bears for the second set in a row show grit with Hewitt and Owen accounting for the next four cutting the deficit to 24-20.  An assisted block between Benjamin and Ganich stopped the rally 25-20.  

The two teams exchanged 5-0 runs to begin the third to be deadlocked 5-5.  Four points later things were still knotted at 7-7, before Lauren Jackson, Charlton, and Henderson scored five straight moving the hosts in front 12-7 prompting a Mercyhurst timeout.  Out of the brief break Kern and Gadomski coupled with four Kutztown errors drew the score level again 13-13.  Consecutive Lakers miscues handed the Golden Bears a three-point lead 17-14.  The guests put together another rally picking up six of the next seven points on scores by Ganich, Benjamin, Zirnheld, Baird, Kern, and Vuylsteke to recapture a slim 20-18 edge.  A Gadomski ace, kills from Kern, Kasper, and Zirnheld along with an Owen attack error capped off the match 25-21.  

Baird led Mercyhurst with eight kills, three digs, and a block.  Kasper and Zirnheld combined for 14 kills, five digs, and two blocks.  Vuylsteke and Beth Brady recorded double-digit digs.  The setting duo of Mary Marusza and Kenny dished out 32 assists.

Owen had a match-high 11 kills for Kutztown, along with eight digs and two blocks.  Charlton and Hewitt joined for 15 kills, five blocks, and four digs.  Lexi Morrow handed out 17 helpers.

The Lakers return home on Friday, October 11th when they welcome the Golden Rams of West Chester to the Athletic Center for PSAC play.  First serve is set for 7:05pm.