WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's volleyball team lost a non-conference match Thursday evening at the Marts Center in straight sets to visiting Penn State Altoona (19-25, 20-25, 24-26).

Wilkes fell to 1-6 overall with the loss while Penn State Altoona improved its record to 2-5.

The Lions gained control early in the first set, going ahead 13-5. The Colonels made a late 9-3 run but Penn State Altoona completed the opening set win at 25-19.

The second set started in the visitors favor again as the Lions went ahead 11-3. Wilkes used a 10-2 run to tie the score at 18-18. During the run Nicole Fitzpatrick (New Hampton, NY/Minisink Valley) had four kills and an ace and Allison Murie (Mays Landing, NJ/Oakcrest) added two kills. Penn State Altoona rebounded and closed the set on a 7-2 run of its own to win 25-20.

The Colonels started the third set much better than the previous two and held a 9-6 lead following an Alexis Reedy (Palmyra, PA/Palmyra Area) kill. Fitzpatrick kept the Navy and Gold ahead by four points at 15-11 with a kill and a three-point scoring run for Wilkes pushed the lead to five points at 18-13. The Lions responded with five straight to tie the score. Kills by Reedy and Sierra Hines (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) gave Wilkes one-point leads and a Fitzpatrick kill tied the score at 23-23. The Lions then scored three of the next four points to win the tightly contested set 26-24 and sweep the match.

Reedy led the Colonels with 12 kills and 13 digs to record her second consecutive double-double. Alexa Cassel (Mount Joy, PA/Lower Dauphin) also recorded a double-double, her first of the season, with 27 assists and 11 digs. Fitzpatrick tied her career high with nine kills and contributed three aces. Ali Yordy (Fairfield, PA/Fairfield Area) tied for the team lead with 13 digs and Emily Gentzel (Yaphank, NY/Bellport) tied her career high with 12 digs.

Lydia Mock led the Lions with 11 kills while Kayla Moran had 28 assists and Erin Lutz 21 digs in the victory.

The Colonels head on the road for a Saturday non-conference tri-match in Middletown, Pa. Wilkes plays Rutgers-Camden at 1:00 p.m. and then host Penn State Harrisburg at 3:00 p.m.