ERIE — On Saturday, the Mount Aloysius women’s volleyball team traveled to Penn State Behrend for the AMCC Game of the Week. Both teams entered the contest with 1-0 records in AMCC play. The Mounties stared a loss in the face, multiple times, but ultimately outlasted the home team to earn the five-set victory.

Mount Aloysius got off to a good start in a tight first set. Each team held a lead during the set, with the Mounties holding the biggest lead of five points (23-18). After the Lions tied up the set at 24, Mackenzie Barr (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shaler) registered a kill and a block with Joelle DeLattre (Duncansville, Pa. / Hollidaysburg), to take a one set lead, 26-24.

The Mounties hit a snag in the second and third set, struggling on offense and falling behind two sets to one. They only tallied 11 total kills between the two sets, while PS-Behrend had 13 kills in each. Mount Aloysius would need to win the fourth and fifth sets to earn the victory.

In the fourth set, the Mounties fell behind early but fought back to tie the score at 14. They would fall behind again after four straight Behrend points, with the Lions clinging to a 23-21 advantage and a likely win. Mount Aloysius got two kills from Molly Richards (Naples, Fla. / Naples) to tie the score at 23 before the Lions scored to get to match point. Richards added another kill and Aviana Chilmaza (Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Cumberland Valley) finished off the set with two more kills to win the set, 26-24.

To open the fifth set, the Lions scored the first six points and looked like they were on their way to a win, again. However, the Mounties called a timeout and went on to score six of the next seven points. Penn State Behrend scored the next two points, followed by seven of the next eight points being scored by the Mounties, keeping their momentum and taking a 13-10 lead. The final five points of the match were determined by the Lions, with two kills and a block to earn points, combined with two service errors to give the Mounties their last two points and a 15-13 victory.

Richards led the Mounties with 19 kills, to go with four aces and 24 digs. Maddie Myers (Altoona, Pa. / Bishop Guilfoyle) dished out a team-high, 23 assists. Chilmaza also reached double-figure kills for the Mounties, which is her career-high.

Saturday’s victory was the Mounties’ first against Penn State Behrend in program history. They were the only current AMCC team that the Mounties had not beaten.

The Mounties are now 2-0 in AMCC play, heading into the annual Pink Out game. The Pink Out game is scheduled for Wednesday, when the Mounties host Pitt-Greensburg.