LATROBE, Pa. – Led by 17 total service aces, the Allegheny women's volleyball squad upended Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) member Pitt-Greensburg, 3-0, to start their two-game Saturday schedule at the Saint Vincent Bearcat Challenge.  The Gators earned the sweep with a 25-12, 25-19, 25-13 decision.

Freshman Alyssa Lebowitz led the Gators in attacking for the third consecutive games with 15 kills, but it was the Gators' performance from the service line that stole the show.  Racking up the most aces since a 16-ace performance last season against Pitt-Bradford, the Allegheny servers were led by four Gators who tied for the team lead with three aces each.  Senior Catherine Kasianowicz and juniors Taylor Samuel, Sarah Swartz and Julia Weeks each scored three apiece, while freshman Leah Franzluebbers scored a pair of aces.  Fellow first years Terra Schall and Justine Kelly added an ace each.

Schall led the Gators with a six-dig performance, while Kelly picked up 26 assists in the victory.  Swartz blocks a team-high two shots, while Weeks and Franzluebbers each assisted on a block.  Sophomore Bailey Gawley and Samuel added four kills each, while Swartz and freshman Morgan Bush each picked up three.

Allegheny opened up a 14-2 advantage in the first set, largely due to five service aces, including a pair from Samuel during a seven-point scoring run.  Swartz added a four-point run of her own, scoring a service ace, as Schall and Kasianowicz logged an ace each at the e tail end of the set to give the Gators the early advantage.  Lebowitz finished the set with four kills while the Gators hit a .400 clip to open Saturday's action.

Weeks continued the Gators' success from the service line in the second set, racking up three consecutive aces during a four-point swing that put the Gators up, 7-3.  Strong serving runs by the freshman corps of Kelly and fellow first year Kylee Karczewski put the squad up, 15-7.  The Bobcats made a comeback bid with a 6-3 run, but a three-point run capped by back-to-back aces from Franzluebbers sealed the set for the Gators.

Kasianowicz put the Gators up 6-1 with a five-point run to start the set, as the Gators built their lead to 15-9 midway through the set.  Samuel picked up her third ace of the afternoon to put the Gators up, 19-11, as Swartz shut the door on the Bobcats with a match-ending, five-point run jump-started by back-to-back aces.

The Gators will next take on AMCC member Franciscan at 1 p.m. to close their Bearcat Challenge Schedule.