MEADVILLE, Pa. – Marked by 30 ties and 11 lead changes, a late push from the Allegheny outside hitters provided the momentum necessary to halt a rally by Oberlin and send the Gators to a 3-1 win over the Yeowomen on Tuesday night at the David V. Wise Center.  The Gators won set one, 25-23 , and set two with a 25-21 decision before overcoming a 25-20 Oberlin win in set three with a match-clinching, 25-22, fourth set victory.

Sophomore Bailey Gawley, who was one of two Allegheny Athletes of the Week on Monday, continued her recent hot streak from the outside, scoring 16 kills to lead the Gators to their first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) win of the season.  Four Gators finished the game with double-digit digs, including sophomore Justine Kelly, who racked up 10 digs and 38 assists for her fifth double-double of the season.  Senior Catherine Kasianowicz earned a team-high 20 digs, while freshman Terra Schall led the Gator first years with 14 digs. 

Freshmen Kylee Karczewski and Christa Cash picked up 14 and 11 digs, respectively, as the Gators additionally scored 10 total blocks on the evening.  Freshman Leah Franzluebbers led the Gators with one solo block and five assisted stops to lead the squad.  Junior Sarah Swartz also picked up a solo block while scoring eight kills for the Gators, the second highest total on the team, while hitting .444 with a pair of service aces.  Junior Taylor Samuel picked up seven kills, including the final two kills of the match, as fellow third year Julia Weeks and Franzluebbers scored seven and five kills, respectively.

In the first set, The two squads played to a 19-19 stalemate with Oberlin holding the serve, however, a kill from Franzluebers changed the tide of the set and gave momentum to the Blue and Gold.  After an Allegheny timeout with the score tied 22-22, a kill from Gawley, attack error by Oberlin and set-ending kill from Samuel put the Gators up, 1-0.

The two teams went back and forth again in the second set, as Allegheny and Oberlin again tied the match late at 15-15.  The Gators used a 5-1 run to take a 20-16 lead, clinching the set after back-to-back kills from Weeks and Swartz. Oberlin held a 22-17 lead in the third, clocking out the set on an 8-3 run to pick up the third set win.

In the fourth, Karczewski led the Gators on a eight-point run that brought the squad back from a two-point deficit and gave Allegheny a 19-16 lead.  Oberlin made one final salvo at the Gator lead, using a 3-1 run to but the Allegheny lead to 23-22, but back-to-back kills from Samuel ended the match and gave the Gators the win.

Allegheny will return to the David V. Wise Center on Saturday, Oct. 4 to battle NCAC foe Denison at 1 p.m.