After falling in its second match of the St. Leo Lions Classic on Friday night, the Pittsburg State volleyball team regrouped.
It seemed to help as the Gorillas rattled off two straight wins Saturday to finish the tournament 3-1.
The Gorillas (3-1) earned a 3-0 (28-26, 25-21, 25-12) over Saginaw Valley State in the morning and finished the tournament with a 3-2 (23-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-23, 15-12) thriller over West Georgia.
Against Saginaw Valley State, the Gorillas hit .191, while holding SVSU to a .055 percentage. No individual Gorillas hit in double figures, but Molly Bergkamp led the team with nine kills. Cassie Wilson led the team with 15 digs, while Corrinne Stringer added 10. Each of Pitt State’s setters, Becca Pearson and Katie Wright, had 13 assists. Leah Flynn and Brooke Faye led the team with two blocks a piece.
Pitt State had a solid test against West Georgia in their second match of the day.
The Gorillas lost the first set by only two points, but came back to win set two by 11. Set three saw West Georgia rally and rattle off 12 straight points to take an eight-point lead at 15-7. Pitt State never recovered until the fourth set, although that set was another battle to the finish, the Gorillas came out on top 25-23. The final set volleyed back and forth until the Gorillas took the lead for good at 12-11.
Bergkamp and Stringer led the team with 15 kills a piece. Stringer put together a double-double with 11 digs. Freshman Lauren Brentlinger earned double-digit kills for the first time in her collegiate career with 12 and led the team with seven blocks (four solo, three block assists). Freshman Kirsten Erikson also had her first double-digit kills game with 10. Wilson led the team with 26 digs. Wright put together a double-double with 17 assists and 11 digs. Becca Pearson led the setters with 23 assists.
Pitt State is on the road again next week as they travel to Warrensburg, Mo. for the Martin Classic on Friday and Saturday.
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
