ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon volleyball team will close out the 2012 regular season and gear up for postseason play with a pair of matches at the Hammermill Center this weekend. The Lady Knights host Slippery Rock Thursday at 7 p.m. and Clarion Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
 
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Gannon Lady Knights
Head Coach: Matt Darling
Overall Record: 23-5
PSAC Record: 15-2, 1st - PSAC West
NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Ranking: 3rd (as of 11/7/12)
Team Leaders
Points: Lauren Sazama - 5.62
Kills: Lauren Sazama - 4.80
Blocks: Sarah Glancy - 1.07
Assists: Megan Wendel - 10.57
Digs: Taryn Graham - 4.00
Aces: Morgan Walters - 0.63
 

• Gannon enters the final week of the regular season leading the PSAC Western Division. Gannon (15-2) can clinch the top seed in the upcoming tournament with a win Thursday. Gannon can also clinch with a loss by California (Pa.) (14-4) and Clarion (13-4) during the weekend.
• Tuesday's loss to Findlay snapped Gannon's seven-match win streak. The streak included a win over every PSAC West squad.
• At Findlay, Lauren Sazama and Megan Wendel each set new career-best marks with Sazama totaling 28 kills and Wendel dishing out 56 assists.
• The Lady Knights season win total (23) and conference win total (15) are both the most for the program under head coach Matt Darling.
• Gannon has also reached 20 wins for the fourth consecutive season. The upcoming PSAC tournament will also be the fourth straight postseason appearance for the Lady Knights.
• Gannon ranks 12th in NCAA Division II in aces per set (2.26), 16th in win-loss percentage (.852) and 25th in hitting percentage (.246).
• Individually, Lauren Sazama is third nationally in kills per set (4.76), third in points per set (5.58) and 10th in aces per set (0.59). She recently earned her fifth PSAC Athlete of the Week honor, bringing her career total to nine.

 
Slippery Rock
Head Coach: Laurie Lokash
Overall Record: 14-7
PSAC Record: 7-10, 6th PSAC West
NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Ranking: n/a
Team Leaders
Kills: Morgan Tyree - 2.63
Blocks: Hayley Wilson - 0.86
Assists: Janna Reilly - 5.09
Digs: Hannah McShea - 4.54
Aces: Hannah McShea - 0.45
 

• Slippery Rock enters the weekend with a 14-7 overall record and a 7-10 mark in conference play. With all four PSAC tournament spots already clinched, Slippery Rock has been eliminated from postseason contention.
• The Rock is coming off a 3-0 loss at home to IUP last Saturday. They have dropped their last six contests.
• Sarah Cadwallader leads the Rock with 261 kills, averaging 2.37 per set. She is third on the team in blocks (51).
• Reigning PSAC and AVCA Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year Janna Reilly has split time handling the offense this season but leads the squad with 575 assists.
• Gannon won the meeting earlier this season, bringing the Lady Knights win streak to seven matches against the Rock. Gannon leads the all-time series 22-10.

 
Clarion Golden Eagles
Head Coach: Jennifer Mills
Overall Record: 23-8
PSAC Record: 13-4, 3rd PSAC West
NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Ranking: 4th (as of 11/7/12)
Team Leaders
Kills: Emily Stewart - 2.55
Blocks: Rebecca Webb - 0.93
Assists: Laura Subject - 9.44
Digs: Rebecca Ferragonio - 5.07
Aces: Laura Subject - 0.44
 

• Clarion has lost five of their last nine contests after holding a 19-3 record. The Eagles suffered losses to Cal (3-2, 3-0), Gannon (3-0), Mercyhurst (3-1) and Wheeling Jesuit (3-0) over the last three weeks.
• The Eagles will meet up with Edinboro on Friday before closing out the 2012 regular season against Gannon.
• The Eagles are one of the four squads in the PSAC West to already have clinched a PSAC Tournament berth, currently sitting third in the standings.
• Clarion's last action came with a 3-0 home loss to California (Pa.). No Golden Eagle reached double digits in kills in the contest with Emily Stewart and Hannah Heeter leading the way with eight.
• Gannon defeated Clarion 3-0 in Clarion earlier this season. In that contest, Gannon limited offensive threat Rebecca Web to just one kill and five errors for a -.222 hitting percentage. Gannon recorded blocks on two of Webb's attempts in the contest.