The Shippensburg University volleyball team rallied Friday night to win its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opener, defeating host IUP by a 3-2 margin from the Kovalchick Center. Set scores were 10-25, 25-21, 18-25, 25-13, 15-9.
 
Shippensburg (9-3, 1-0 PSAC) had a sluggish start to the match, falling behind 10-1 to open the first set, and later weathered a moribund conclusion to the third set in which IUP (1-9, 0-1) closed the frame with a 7-2 run. The Raiders rallied with runs in both the second and fourth sets, including a .294 hitting efficiency in the fourth set.
 
SU used a 5-2 run in the fifth set to stretch a 4-3 lead into a 9-5 advantage and did not trail by less than three points for the remainder of the match.
 
Junior Emily Hangen recorded 45 assists and had 10 digs while distributing the offense. Senior Gabriella Johnson led the Raiders with 11 kills and also had 17 digs to achieve her seventh double-double of the season and the 31st of her career.
 
Fellow senior Kendall Johnson had eight kills, a team-high four blocks, and most noteworthy of all, a team-high three service aces – the first three of Johnson's career. She had never served an ace in 109 previous matches entering Friday.
 
SU's junior hitters finished strong. Alana Pergine totaled seven kills and hit .267. After a slow start, Gianna Sigado finished with nine kills, 14 digs and hit .227. Eight of Sigado's nine kills came in the final two sets.
 
Senior Samantha Webber had nine kills and hit .133; six of her kills came in the final two sets. Senior Megan Forstburg returned to action at her customary libero position and led the team with 20 digs.
 
Sophomore Keri Gearhart had five kills off the bench, while redshirt-freshman Syera McCormick served two of Shippensburg's seven aces – including the match-clincher to end the fifth set.
 
The Raiders are now 4-0 in five-set matches this season.
 
Shippensburg returns to action at 1 p.m. tomorrow with a conference matchup at Pitt-Johnstown.