LATROBE, Pa. – A pair of double-digit attackers and a strong performance by the Gators' freshman setter vaulted the Gators to their second Saturday victory and third win of the Saint Vincent Bearcat Challenge, 3-0, over Franciscan on Saturday afternoon.  The Gators took the first game, 25-14, before clinching the sweep with a 25-19 second set and 25-14 third set victory.

Junior Taylor Samuel kicked off the match by scoring seven kills in the first set, ending the contest with 13 total kills to lead the squad.  Freshman Alyssa Lebowitz racked up 11 kills, reaching double digits in every match during the weekend's tournament, finishing the four-game slate with a .369 clip, averaging 4.33 per set.  Fellow first year Justine Kelly impressed at setter, helping close out the Barons with 33 assists.  Kelly finished the weekend with 109 total assists, 9.08 per set, while also picking up 22 digs.

Senior Catherine Kasianowicz led the team with 19 digs, while freshman Leah Franzluebbers picked up three solo blocks to lead the Blue and Gold.  Junior Sarah Swartz scored six digs and a solo, block, adding a block assist with fellow third year Julia Weeks, who tacked on five kills and a service ace.  Freshman Terra Schall made a splash on the back line, grabbing 12 digs, including several sprawling, point-saving digs that helped the Gators in an immensely competitive second set.

In the first set, the Gators jumped out to a 13-8 lead.  Franciscan responded with a 6-3 run to cut the Gator lead to two.  But Allegheny responded with a definitive close to the set, running away with the first with a nine straight points, sparked by an eight-point run under service by Weeks, putting the squad up, 1-0, heading into the second.

With the second set favoring the Gators by a slim, 9-8 advantage, Kasianowicz led the Gators two a two-point swing that gave the squad enough space to keep the determined Barons at bay.  The Gators went up, 22-16, after kills from Swartz and Kelly, ending the set on back-to-back kills by Lebowitz.  Schall held serve for the Gators with the Blue and Gold holding a slim, 9-8 advantage and responded with a seven-point run that gave the Gators momentum indefinitely.  Lebowitz ended the game and the match with a kill from Kelly, clinching a 3-1 record for the Gators at the Bearcat Challenge.

Allegheny will next travel to Allentown, Pennsylvania for the Muhlenberg College Tournament, as the Gators will take on Baruch and Moravian on Friday, Sept. 5.