PITT-JOHNSTOWN MOUNTAIN CATS (9-1, 2-0 PSAC West) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (13-2, 2-0 PSAC West)
Date/Time: Friday, October 1, 2021 l 7:00 p.m.
Location: Erie, Pa. l Hammermill Center
Live Coverage: LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS

 CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (9-5, 1-1 PSAC West) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (13-2, 2-0 PSAC West)
Date/Time: Saturday, October 2, 2021 l 2:00 p.m.
Location: Erie, Pa. l Hammermill Center
Live Coverage: LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS


ERIE, Pa. – Gannon volleyball will host Pitt-Johnstown and Clarion in a crucial PSAC West doubleheader weekend on Friday and Saturday at the Hammermill Center. Gannon comes into the weekend with a 13-2 overall record, including a 2-0 mark in conference play.
 
Gannon has already picked up 3-0 wins over Indiana (PA) and Seton Hill in PSAC West play this season. The Golden Knights won their fourth-straight match on Tuesday evening during their last outing against D'Youville College.
 
In the win over D'Youville, senior outside hitter Lauren Sampson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Davidson) became the 18^th Gannon volleyball player to record 1,000 career kills. Sampson recorded six kills on nine attacks during the first set against the Saints on Tuesday night. Following the milestone, Sampson took the rest of the night off, as she didn't see action in the final two sets. Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Sampson was also honored by the PSAC for the second time this season as the western division's volleyball Athlete of the Week. Sampson also earned PSAC weekly honors on Sept. 7 following the opening weekend of the season. Sampson has recorded double-digit kills eight times this season.
 
In addition to Sampson's milestone on Tuesday night, the Golden Knights also got a team-high 10 kills from Makenna Gavin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Avonworth) and seven kills from Hailey Koch (Littleton, Col./Dakota Ridge). Shannon Coglianese (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove) led Gannon with five blocks during the match. The Golden Knights hit .439 in the match and also held statistical advantages in aces (21-9) and blocks (6-2).
 
UPJ comes into Friday's match with a 9-1 overall record, with its only loss of the season coming against West Liberty in nonconference action. The Mountain Cats have won nine-straight coming into the match. Last week, UPJ opened PSAC play with a 3-2 win over Slippery Rock and a 3-1 win over Mercyhurst.
 
Gannon and UPJ last met on Nov. 9, 2019 – a 3-0 win for Gannon in Johnstown, Pa. Sampson recorded 13 kills and four aces in that victory.
 
Clarion enters the weekend with a 9-5 overall record and a 1-1 mark in conference play. Entering this weekend, Clarion has won four of its last five. Last week the Golden Eagles opened PSAC play with a 3-0 win over Cal (PA) and a 3-0 setback against Edinboro. CU will meet Mercyhurst on Friday evening before its showdown with Gannon on Saturday.
 
Gannon and Clarion met four times during the spring's COVID schedule in 2021. During the spring, Gannon swept each of the four matches against the Golden Eagles. GU also swept Clarion by a 3-0 score during November of 2019 to wrap up the '19 regular season.

LADY KNIGHTS AMONG OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES IN AVCA POLL
Gannon is knocking on the door of a spot in the AVCA Division II Top 25 poll. The Lady Knights were among "others receiving votes" with a total of 69 points in this week's poll (Sept. 27, 2021). Gannon received the 26th-most votes in the poll voting.

GANNON WESTERN DIVISION FAVORITE IN PSAC COACHES' PRESEASON POLL
The Lady Knights were chosen the preseason favorite in the PSAC West, marking the fourth straight year they have been voted as a divisional favorite.

BEYERS MOVES INTO 2ND PLACE IN CAREER ASSISTS
Ashley Beyers, Gannon's redshirt senior setter, has moved into second place in career assists at GU following her 26-assist performance on Saturday against Seton Hill. The 2019 AVCA honorable mention All-American leads Gannon with 477 assists this season, boosting her career total to 3,754 assists (passed Jess Deemer, 3,753, on Saturday). Megan Wendel holds the GU career record with 4,244 assists.

KERESTES LOOKING TO CAPTURE CAREER BLOCKS RECORD
Ashley Kerestes entered the 2021 season with 412 career total blocks, good for second all-time at Gannon. The redshirt senior middle blocker has added 27 blocks to her total this season, boosting her total to 439. Kerestes is just 24 away from Kara Cullen's career record of 463.