GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- Gwynedd Mercy celebrated its 2016 home opener with a 3-1 victory (16-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-20) over Penn College Tuesday night.

During the match, junior Casey Griffith would hit a career milestone, notching her 1,000th career dig. Needing 23 to hit the mark, she would get exactly that amount registering the elusive dig in the fourth set. She had amassed 885 digs in two seasons at Division I University of Maryland-Baltimore County before her arrival in Gwynedd Valley. In addition, her 23 digs and 14 kills were match highs.

Jessica Behr added 12 kills and just on error on 27 attempts while adding two big solo blocks.

After falling in the first set, where the team had more hitting errors than kills, the team rebounded to fight through a 25-23 score in the second, hitting a match best .345 (13-3-29). The set also featured 10 ties and four lead changes.

In the third, the team turned a 4-3 deficit into a 13-6 lead two huge kills from Behr and Griffith. However, the Wildcats would close the gap to 22-19. Behr would put the squad up 2-1, with her fifth kill of the set to cement it at 25-21.

The fourth set never saw the Griffins trailing, but things were tight until an 8-1 spurt turned a one-point lead into an 18-10 advantage. Again, Penn College would not go away, pulling within 22-18, but could not get any closer.

For the evening, Gwynedd (3-5) combined to hit 37-18-139 (.137) with a total of 12 aces and six blocks. Kerry McGlinn tied a season-high with 28 assists to go with her four digs, three aces, and two block assists.

Laura Kirk chipped in 20 digs, as now the senior is also creeping closer to the career 1,000 dig mark. She currently sits with 994.

Sophie Coldsmith led the Wildcats (2-6), as she came close to a double-double: nine kills, 13 digs, along with four aces and two solo blocks. Penn College totaled a 38-29-143 (.063) hitting line on the night.

Gwynedd Mercy will open CSAC play here on Saturday in a tri-match with Cairn and Keystone. The Griffins kick things off, taking on the Highlanders at 10 a.m. Cairn will then face the Giants at noon before a Gwynedd-Keystone matchup at 2 p.m.