HOUGHTON, NY – After sweeping through the first set, the Houghton Highlanders lost a closely-contested match to the Pitt-Bradford Panthers, 3-1, in their home opener.
 
Up 1-0, the Highlanders opened up a 6-1 lead early in the second set and maintained a 20-16 lead before the Panthers mounted a comeback.  Bradford reeled off seven straight points to take a 23-20 lead and eventually closed out the second set by two points to even the match.
 
After the Panthers claimed the third set to take a 2-1 lead, they opened up a quick 5-0 lead in the fourth.  Houghton battled back, but the Bradford continued to stay ahead.  With the Panthers leading 15-10, the Highlanders won six straight points, thanks in large part to three big kills by Brooke Lewandowski.
 
The two teams traded points until the Highlanders finally earned set-point, 24-23, on a Lewandowski kill.  But Emily Cleveland and Sydney Shepherd quickly answered for the Panthers with three combined kills in a row to take the match. 
 
GAME VITALS
Match Score: Houghton – 1 | Pitt-Bradford – 3
Game Scores: (25-17, 23-25, 19-25, 24-26)
Records: Houghton: 5-1 | Pitt-Bradford: 5-5  
Venue: The Nielsen Center, Houghton College | Attendance: 123

NOTABLE STATS
>> While the Highlanders tallied 12 more kills than the Panthers (52-to-40), they also accumulated nine more attack errors and two more service errors (10-to-8).
 
>> Brooke Lewandowski posted a career-high 19 kills (.517 attack percentage), besting her previous record of 13 in a five-set match against Rowan University in September 2018.
 
>> Haley Unverdorben dished out 44 assists, one shy of her career-best mark set earlier this season against D'Youville.
 
>> Amy Huddell notched 11 kills and Ally Bittinger picked up her first double-double of the season with 11 kills and 10 digs.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders head to the Buffalo State Tournament this weekend, challenging Medaille on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before playing John Carroll and host Buffalo State on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., respectively.