Lions advance with 3-0 win over Paul Smith's College

Uniontown, Pa. - The Hazleton Nittany Lions are moving on to the semifinals after a 3-0 win over Paul Smith's College. Hazleton rolled past the Bobcats, outhitting their opponents 33-26 in the kills column while the Bobcats issued Hazleton 28 hitting errors to aid their cause compared to just nine hitting errors for the Lions. 

Hazleton hustled out of the gate, pouring on nine straight points early in the action thanks in part to seven combined kills from third year Sydney Mack and second year Kaitlyn Kelley. The Lions opened up a nine point advantage and withstood a late rally by the Bobcats to win set one 25-18 as Kelley registered five kills in the opening frame. 

The Lions poured it on in bunches in set number two. Hazleton got kills from seven different players in the stanza, including three from first year Claire Riera Gomez. The Nittany Lions benefitted from 10 hitting errors by the Paul Smith's squad, cruising to a convincing 25-14 win in the second set and taking firm control of the match at 2-0. Mack started off the third frame red hot, earning three kills and an assisted block to help put the Lions on top 7-3, and just as in set number two, the Bobcats failed to convert opportunities at the net. The Lions pulled away by as many as 13 points in the final frame, cruising to a second consecutive 25-14 win and defeating Paul Smith's College in straight sets 3-0. 

Mack and Kelley topped the charts for the Hazleton squad, totaling nine kills each in the victory. Second year setter Sophia Del Vacchio totaled 24 assists with second year Libero Nora Jones leading the squad with 19 digs.