LATROBE, Pa. - Saint Vincent College junior Madie Marsico set a team record with 45 digs, while four of her teammates tallied 11 or more kills, but the Bearcats were unable to come back from an early 2-0 deficit, falling 3-2 to visiting Penn State-Altoona.

The Lions took the first two sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-22, before the Bearcats rebounded to take the third and fourth sets by cores of 25-22 and 25-19, respectively. The SVC comeback attempt then ran out of steam, with the Lions claiming a 15-6 win in the decisive fifth set.

Marsico's 45 digs broke the previous school mark established on Sept. 17, 2014, by Brittany George against Thiel. Marsico and George are now the only two players in team history to eclipse 40 digs in a match.

Along with Marsico's stellar performance, teammate Carly Augustine tallied her third triple-double of the season in the loss, going for 11 kills, 12 digs and 22 assists. She was one of four teammates to reach double figures in the kill column, as Lindsey Kocjancic put down a team-best 12, and Becca Miller and Caitlyn Figuly 11 kills apiece. Figuly also added three blocks, while Olivia Persin dished a team-best 25 assists to go with two service aces.

In the first set of the night, Saint Vincent got out to a hot start. The Bearcats scored the first five points of the night, building an early 5-0 lead. Penn State-Altoona stormed back though, as they scored four of the next five points, cutting the Bearcat lead to 6-4. The Bearcats used a 13-8 stretch to take a commanding 19-12 lead in the set. The Lady Lions came back once again. They scored 10 of the next 13 points, tying the match at 22. After a Luciana Polk kill the Bearcats regained the lead once again at 23-22. Penn State Altoona scored the next three points, taking the first set 25-22.
 
In the second set, neither team could take command. The teams traded points throughout the early portion of the set. The set was tied at 12-12 and then 15-15. The teams continued to trade points back and forth, as the Bearcats gained a slight edge at 20-19. As they did most of the night, the Lady Lions battled from behind, scoring the next three points, taking a 22-20 lead in the set. After a kill by Augustine for the Bearcats, the Penn State-Altoona lead was cut to 22-21. The Lady Lions took control then, scoring three of the last four points, taking the set 25-22, and gaining a 2-0 advantage overall in the match.
 
In the third set, the Bearcats refused to go away. Penn State-Altoona got out to an early 5-1 lead. The Bearcats scored six of the next eight points, tying the match at 7-7. The teams traded the next several points back and forth and the match was tied 14-14. Saint Vincent went on to score the next six points to take a 20-14 lead. Altoona fought though, cutting the lead to 22-19 and then 24-22. A kill by Figuly won the set for the Bearcats keeping them alive in the match, despite trailing 2-1.
 
In the fourth set, it was much of the same. The teams traded the first several points, and the game was tied at 12 all. The Bearcats scored three of the next four to take a 15-13 lead in the set. The Lady Lions then went on a run of their own, scoring the next four points to take a 17-15 lead. The Bearcats answered right back and went on a quick 3-0 run of their own taking an 18-17 lead. Then the Bearcats took full control, scoring seven of the next nine points, winning the set 25-19.
 
 In the final set, it was all Penn State- Altoona. The Lady Lions scored 10 of the first 11, holding a commanding 10-1 lead. The Bearcats attempted to come back in the set, but it wasn't enough, as Penn State-Altoona took the set 15-6, and the match 3-2.
 
The Bearcats will be back in action Saturday, Oct. 9, as they travel to Ohio to take on Oberlin College in a non-conference matchup. The match is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.