SEATTLE, Wash. – This wasn't the ending to the season that the 2022 Gannon University women's volleyball team had envisioned earlier this week.

The Golden Knights' 25-11, 25-14, 25-18 loss to a talented Cal State LA team ended Gannon's hopes for a first national title in blunt fashion on Thursday night in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight at Seattle Pacific University's Royal Brougham Pavilion.

The setback capped Gannon's season with a 29-6 record, while the 25-6 Golden Eagles moved on to Friday's Final Four against perennial powerhouse Concordia-St. Paul.

Gannon coach Matt Darling and his players had to take solace in the fact that they had achieved much more than they had even hoped before the season. After losing four former All-Americans to graduation, Gannon had uncertain, if not low, expectations for the season.

With a revamped lineup, the Golden Knights started the season slowly, going 6-4 in their first 10 matches. However, they rolled from that point, winning 23 of their next 24, including 17 in a row going into the Elite Eight. The team also won PSAC West, PSAC Tournament, and Atlantic Regional championships along the way.

"In the wider context of the tournament," Darling said, "we were happy to have made it this far with a pretty young group, and we'll build on that."



Gannon's winning streak came to resounding halt on Thursday against Cal State LA in the national quarterfinals.

The Golden Eagles led 6-4 in the first set when Second Team All-American Emily Elliott served six consecutive points and Cal State LA took a 12-6 lead. The Eagles pulled away to a 25-11 win in that set.

Cal State LA was nearly as dominant in the second set. After Gannon grabbed a 6-4 edge, the Eagles went on a seven-point run to take an 11-7 lead. They pulled away from there for a 25-14 win.

"First of all, congratulations to Cal State LA, who we knew was going to present us with a great challenge, and they absolutely did," Darling said. "They played great. They were rock solid from the service line, and I think the match obviously was won right there."

Gannon had better success in the third set, staying tied 13-13 before Cal State scored four straight points and eventually claimed a 25-18 win while securing the sweep.

"I'm proud of the team's effort," Darling said. "We kept trying to say, 'OK, we're going to let that go, and let's show people what we can do.' The third set, I think -- signs of life. I'm just proud of the effort."

Elliott, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter, was dominant for Cal State LA, recording a match-high 20 kills and a lofty .441 hitting percentage. She also had six service aces, including the final three serves of the second set.

The AVCA's NCAA Division II Freshman of the Year, Iane Henke, added nine kills and four blocks for the Eagles.

Elliott and Henke helped Cal State LA hit an impressive .301 while limiting Gannon to a low .054 hitting percentage.

Sophomore outside hitter Sam Deinek (South Lyon, Mich./South Lyon East) led Gannon with seven kills. Freshman setter Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey) had 15 assists, and sophomore libero Emma Hall (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) added 10 digs.

"It was definitely a learning experience for us," Deinek said. "We have a lot to improve on, but it's also nice to take a step back and enjoy the moment. I'm proud of this team and all that we've accomplished this year. So, it's bittersweet."

Sophomore right side Hailey Koch (Littleton, Col./Dakota Ridge) echoed Deinek's thoughts.

"It's really crazy because we lost a lot of seniors last year, and everybody was kind of thinking, 'Oh, they're going to have a really hard year next year, and honestly a lot of us were thinking that way too. It was just kind of proving every step of the way what we could be."