SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University volleyball team went toe-to-toe with longtime Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rival Pittsburgh-Johnstown on Tuesday, engaging in a spirited back-and-forth clash in the 2018 Central Division opener.
 
It was ultimately the visiting Mountain Cats who claimed a five-set victory from Heiges Field House, bringing SU's school-record winning streak of 15 consecutive matches to an end. Set scores were 16-25, 27-25, 25-22, 18-25, 15-13 in favor of the visitors.
 
The two teams were separated by one kill (69-68, UPJ), four digs (103-99, UPJ) and one assist (64-63, UPJ) in the stat column, with each squad recording 10 blocks. SU out-hit the Mountain Cats, .240 to .224, and posted a 10-6 advantage in service aces.
 
Shippensburg (16-3, 6-1 PSAC) and Pitt-Johnstown (9-9, 4-3) were absolutely splendid on the attack. In Sets 2 and 3, the teams combined to produce kills for 73 percent of the total points. In the decisive fifth set, 68 percent of the points came via kills. In the three sets won by the Mountain Cats, the visitors scored 49 of their 67 points via kills (73 percent).
 
While the match featured 27 ties and 14 lead changes (including seven ties in the final set), arguably the most notable of the momentum switches came in Set 2. Already trailing by a set, UPJ took a 22-15 advantage before the Raiders stormed back with a 7-0 run to tie the score at 22-22. The two teams then exchanged the next six points before the Mountain Cats used a kill and an attack error to even the match with a 27-25 victory in Set 2.

Junior Gabriella Johnson paced the Raiders with a career-high 19 kills, swinging .246, and recorded 18 digs for her eighth double-double of the season. Senior Morgan DeFloria also had a double-double with 14 kills and 16 digs; she also served three aces.
 
Junior Kendall Johnson had 12 kills, six block assists and hit .385 on 26 attempts. Fellow junior middle Samantha Webber ripped 16 kills, totaled four blocks, and hit .256 on 39 attempts.
 
Sophomore Emily Hangen delivered a season-high 54 assists, marking the fifth time in her career she has achieved 50 or more assists in a match. Hangen also recorded a team high and career high with 27 digs.
 
Junior Megan Forstburg had 18 digs, seven assists, and two aces. Fellow junior Faith Loehle equaled her career high of seven digs she set Saturday at East Stroudsburg.
 
Sophomore Gianna Sigado delivered a strong boost off the bench for the Raiders in the middle of the match. Sigado hit three kills without an error, served a pair of aces, and tallied seven digs in three sets of action.
 
For the visitors, Maura Brehl had an absolutely remarkable match: 22 kills to lead all players, along with 29 digs, two blocks, and a .339 hitting percentage despite 56 attempts. Noelle Carota added a double-double (16 kills, 14 digs); Erin Carmody led all players with 31 digs, and setter J.C. Longeville totaled 57 assists and 12 digs.
 
DeFloria's 14 kills moved her into second place on SU's all-time list for the category (1,349), moving past Alyssa Kilgore (1,339 from 2001-04).
 
UP NEXT: Friday, 7 p.m. vs. West Chester.