• Final Score: #23 (NCAA #2) Gannon 3, (NCAA #7) Shepherd 0
• Set Scores: 25-18, 25-23, 25-19
• Records: Gannon (31-2), Shepherd (23-11)
• Location: Wheeling, W. Va. – McDonough Center (NCAA Tournament)
• The Short Story: Gannon withstood a second set run from Shepherd and used a balanced offensive attack for a 3-0 win in the First Round of the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament on Thursday afternoon inside the McDonough Center. The Lady Knights will face Seton Hill tomorrow night in a rematch of the PSAC Championship game that took place less than a week ago.

• Box Score: Click Here
• Tournament Web Headquarters: Click Here
• Interactive Bracket: Click Here
• Postgame Press Conference: Click Here

• (#3) Seton Hill 3, (#6) California (Pa.) 0 | Box Score
• (#2) Gannon 3, (#7) Shepherd 0 | Box Score
• (#5) Clarion 3, (#4) Shippensburg 2 | Box Score
• (#1) Wheeling Jesuit 3, (#8) Shaw 0 | Box Score 

• Gannon opened the match strong, jumping out to a quick 5-2 lead. Ashley Kerestes (Loves Park, Ill./Rockford Lutheran) put down two kills in the early run and Lauren Sampson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) gave the Lady Knights a 7-4 first set lead. A 5-1 run put the Lady Knights ahead 13-7 and a kill from Ally Smith (Penfield, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) extended the Gannon lead to 16-10.
• The Rams aimed to close the gap in the first set with a 5-2 run of its own, cutting the Gannon lead to 20-16. The Lady Knights responded with four of the final five points of the opening set for a 25-18 set one victory. Kerestes and Sampson each had kills in the final moments of the first set.
• The second set was even to start with the score tied at 5-5. The Lady Knights rolled off the next five points following an ace, a kill from Smith and Kerestes and a Ram attack error for a 10-5 lead. Ashley McClung (Charleston, W.Va./George Washington) pushed the Gannon lead to 17-12 with a kill from Valeria Torres (Gurabo, Puerto Rico/Notre Dame), but the Rams hit their groove with a 5-1 scoring run forcing a Gannon timeout at 18-17.
• Kills from Lexi Johnson (Chandler, Ariz./Basha) and McClung put Gannon up 21-18 in the third set and the Lady Knights would eventually claim the set victory following an extended rally for the set point.
• The third set was also evenly matched in the early going. Gannon scored three straight points, with kills from Sampson and Smith, for a 13-11 lead. The three point run kick-started a 7-1 run as Gannon stormed ahead 17-12.
• Johnson put down a kill and Torres ended the match with an ace for a 25-19 set three victory to secure the sweep.

• McClung was superb in her first start as the team's setter. She just missed out on a triple-double with eight kills, 19 assists and 10 digs.
• Sampson was the lone Lady Knight to collect double-figure kills with 11, but Smith and McClung had eight each.
• Johnson provided another efficient outing with four kills on 10 total attacks. She also added seven block assists for the Lady Knights.
• Neither team got off to a particularly strong start offensively. Gannon held a .091 to .053 lead in overall hitting percentage in the first set. 
• Kerestes (4) and Smith (3) led the Lady Knights in kills during the first set.
• The duo of McClung (five kills) and Sampson (three kills, three aces) were excellent for Gannon in the second set, accounting for 11 combined points.

• The tournament match marked the 10th straight year Gannon has made the NCAA Tournament.
• Shepherd earned an at-large bid as the seventh seed out of the Mountain East Conference.
• The Rams were defeated in straight sets for just the second time this year.
• Gannon collected 10 or more service aces in a match for the 10th time this season.
• Seton Hill defeated California (Pa.), 3-1, in the opening match of the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament.

• The Lady Knights face Seton Hill for the second time this week. The two teams that reached the conference championship will face off tomorrow (November 16) night at 5 p.m.
• Live stats and live video will be available from Wheeling Jesuit.
• Gannon and Seton Hill played a thrilling five-set conference championship match last Saturday night at the Hammermill Center. 

Hey @GannonU students, we're moving on!

Free tickets and transportation to Friday's Atlantic Region semifinal are available. Thanks to @gannonsga for providing the opportunity to cheer on the Lay Knights!

REGISTER: https://t.co/cgVZH06ndw#UKnighted pic.twitter.com/ies2TC7nS6

— Gannon Athletics (@GUKnights) November 15, 2018