ERIE, PA – On the opening day of the Penn-State Behrend Tournament, the Houghton Highlanders dropped both games, falling to undefeated Thiel College in straight sets, 3-0, before losing a closely-fought match with the host Lions, 3-1.
 
GAME VITALS

Game #1
Score: Houghton – 0 | Thiel – 3
Records: Houghton: 1-1 | Thiel: 4-0
Scores:  13-25,  23-25,  17-25
Venue: Junker Center, Penn State-Behrend College | Attendance: 76
 
Recap:
In the opening set the Tomcats racked up an impressive 19 kills on a .471 attack percentage, paving the way to a 25-13 win.  The Highlanders battled back from a late deficit in the second set to pull within a point, but Thiel's Caitlin Stephens put away a kill to give the Tomcats a two-set lead.
 
In the third and final set, the Tomcats regained their hitting momentum, committing only two attack errors in 19 attempts, collecting 10 kills in route to a 25-17 win.
 
Game #2
Score: Houghton – 1 | Penn State-Behrend – 3
Records: Houghton: 1-2 | Penn State-Behrend: 2-4
Scores: 26-28, 26-24, 24-26, 17-25
Venue: Junker Center, Penn State-Behrend College | Attendance: 89

Recap:
In an incredibly hard-fought match that saw each of the first three sets go to extra points, the Behrend Lions pulled out a 3-1 victory.
 
In the first set, Houghton rallied late, eventually forcing set-point twice, only to watch the Lions snatch the victory on back-to-back Highlander attack errors.
 
The second set brought more of the same.  Behrend forced set point, 24-23, but back-to-back kills by freshmen duo, Lilly Bentley and Alexa Belanger, and an attack error by the Lions, evened the scored at one set apiece.
 
With the Highlanders up, 23-21, in the third set, Behrend picked up a pair of kills to tie the game.  Houghton earned set-point on a Lions' service error, but Behrend again rallied with a pair of kills to take the set.
 
Behrend would capitalize on the momentum, taking the fourth and final set in far less dramatic fashion. 25-17.

NOTABLE STATS
>> Bentley led the Highlanders with 19 total kills on the day, while Bellanger and Ainslie Reimer added 15 and 13 apiece, respectively.  Reimer also led the team with 25 total digs.
 
>> Morgan Brace dished out a team-high 39 assists on the day for the Highlanders.
 
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to the Junker Center tomorrow for the second day of the Behrend Tournament.  They will take on Geneva College at 12:00 p.m., and Kenyon College at 2:00 p.m.