Behrend volleyball’s last home stretch of the season began with a 3-0 home win against Thiel on Tuesday night. The Lady Lions won all three sets by scores of 25-21, 25-9 and 25-19, respectively. The Lions came back from a five-point deficit in the first set to claim the close win. Other than that, though, Behrend delivered a solid performance and handled the Tomcats with relative ease. Freshman Kristin Reiland led with double-digit kills for the third straight match. Sophomore Madison Clapper had 19 of the teams 57 digs and senior Lexi Irwin contributed with 25 assists, 8 kills, and 8 digs.

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This past Saturday, the Lions hosted the Pitt-Greensburg Bobcats at the Junker Center for their senior night game. Behind the instruction and motivation of 15-year head coach Phil Posano, the Lions claimed victory in their final home match, and the seniors certainly played a huge role in their last home game.

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Behrend successfully defended their home court again, defeating the Bobcats three sets to one. The seniors being recognized were Greensburg native Lexi Irwin and Bridgeville native Amanda Henry. Both seniors were escorted by their parents and received flowers and gifts from coaches, while their athletic and academic achievements were presented. Irwin leads the AMCC in hitting percentage (.334) and assists per set (7.99.)

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The Lions claimed the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) regular-season title with their win over Pitt-Greensburg, which makes it the teams fifth AMCC Championship. This senior night win also puts the Lions as the number one seed for the conference tournament next week. The first and second sets were dominated by Behrend with excellent serving from freshman Kristen Reiland, constant attacking by junior Alex Purra and hustle by sophomore Madison Clapper.

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Henry led the team with 12 kills, and also contributed seven digs, three aces, two blocks and two assists. Irwin finished with 34 assists and seven kills. Behrend also recorded their second-best serving performance of the season with 17 aces. The Lions won 3-1, final scores being 25-7, 25-3, 23-25, 25-7.

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Pitt-Greensburg game leaders include Kassi Niver with 20 digs, Mackenzie Schropp with two service aces, as well as Marissa Leonard and Alexis Ray with five kills each. Behrend’s kill percentage was .358 and Pitt-Greensburg’s was -.127. The Lions and Bobcats tied in team digs with 49 each, but Behrend beat Pitt-Greensburg 48-18 in team kills and 44-18 in service aces.

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It was a great way for the Behrend seniors to defend their home court one last time. Penn State Behrend will host the four-team AMCC Tournament next weekend Saturday and Sunday. Matches begin at 2 p.m.