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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Pittsburg State Volleyball team started the Steel & Silver Classic on a high note with a five-set win (25-21, 18-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-10) over Saint Martin's on Friday (Sept. 12) afternoon at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
The Gorillas won the first set 25-21, before falling in set two 18-25. The team fought back to win set three, 25-18. The fourth set was a battle the whole way, with the teams trading p. oints clear up to 25-all. There were a total of 10 ties and seven lead changes in the fourth set alone. In the end, the Saints came out ahead, 27-25.
Pitt State got down 3-0 to start the fifth set. But slowly started to come back, by playing sharp offense, serving well and taking advantage of Saint Martin's errors. A St. Martin's service error and a Maggie Highberger kill brought the Gorillas within one at 5-4. The Saints added another point, but back-to-back kills by Hope Joyner and Haylee Gregory tied the game at 6-6. Another attack error gave Pitt State its first lead of the game and they would never lose it from that point on. Joyner served up an ace to get the Gorillas to eight points, and added another after the team switched ends of the court. St. Martin's was able to score four more points before Pitt State ended the match on a kil by Joyner.
The Gorillas were led by several of their younger players in the match. Four players recorded double digit kills, led by Highberger with 13. Joyner recorded 12 kills in only three sets, while Ary Crittleton also had 12. Haylee Gregory added 11 kills and shared the team lead in blocks with Ashlie Bell with four a piece. Joyner served up three of Pitt State's nine aces in the match. Shontanae Addison and Ashlen Schwartz each added two. Schwartz and Addison led the team in digs, Schwarts with 17 and Addison, 16. Setter Hayley Hansford was just short of a double-double with 46 assists and nine digs.
Pitt State will take the court again this evening at 8 p.m. central time against tournament host Colorado-Colorado Springs.
