ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Quincy University women's volleyball team opened play at the Bettye Wallace Invitational with an intense five-set victory over the Pittsburg State Gorillas, 16-25, 25-19, 25-23, 24-26, 15-9.

The first set saw the Gorillas jump out to an early 13-3 lead, fueled by a nine-point run. Quincy tried to mount a comeback, but their efforts fell short, ultimately losing 25-16. Pitt State hit .211 with 13 kills, while the Hawks struggled with a .023 hitting percentage and nine errors.

Quincy turned the momentum around in set two, jumping out to a 12-10 lead before unleashing a seven-point run, sparked by three service aces from Susanna Beretti. Despite a late Gorillas rally, the Hawks held on, winning 25-19. Quincy hit just .025 but dominated defensively, limiting Pitt State to a -.067 hitting percentage and recording four service aces to the Gorillas' zero.

Set three was a tightly contested battle. Quincy trailed early but battled back behind a four-point run from Beretti behind the service line. After a back-and-forth set, Quincy led 22-21 following key points from Alice Pavan and Beretti. Despite a late Gorillas surge, back-to-back kills from Beretti sealed the set 25-23 for the Hawks. Quincy hit .173 with 17 kills, while Pitt State finished at .146 with 13 kills.

In set four, Quincy built a 13-5 lead with contributions from Pavan, Erin Matzke, and Amber Glen, but the Gorillas rallied late, scoring six consecutive points to take the set 26-24, forcing a decisive fifth set.

In the fifth set, Quincy jumped to a 5-1 lead and never looked back. Beretti closed the match with a kill, giving the Hawks the 15-9 victory.

Beretti led the Hawks with 17 kills, followed by Pavan with 13 and Janelle Pye-Blacknard with 10. Elena Kasavica recorded 40 assists, while Lilly Marth led defensively with 20 digs, followed by Kasavica (17) and Beretti (14). Matzke and Zeynep Cetin each contributed six blocks. Quincy out-hit Pittsburg State 55-54 in kills but posted a .105 hitting percentage compared to .122 for the Gorillas. The victory improved Quincy to 6-2 on the season, handing Pittsburg State their third loss.

The Hawks will return to action later tonight against host Henderson State at 5:30 PM at the Duke Wells Center.