PSAC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW


PSAC SEMIFINALS
3E EAST STROUDSBURG WARRIORS AT 1W GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS
DATE/TIME: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center | Erie, Pa.        
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PSAC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE/RESULTS
QUARTERFINALS
Tuesday, Nov. 19
1E Shepherd 3, 4E Millersville 1
2W IUP 3, 3W Clarion 1
3E East Stroudsburg 3, 2E Shippensburg 0
1W Gannon 3, 4W Seton Hill 0

Semifinals, Friday, Nov. 22
At Hagerty Family Events Center (Gannon host)
2W IUP vs. 1E Shepherd, 5 p.m.
3E East Stroudsburg vs. 1W Gannon, 7:30 p.m.

Championship, Saturday, Nov. 23
At Hagerty Family Events Center (Gannon host)
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
 
RECORDS:
No. 1W Gannon Golden Knights: 22-6 overall, 13-1 PSAC West
No. 3E East Stroudsburg Warriors: 20-7 overall, 9-5 PSAC East
No. 1E Shepherd Rams: 24-4 overall, 14-0 PSAC East
No. 2W Indiana (Pa.) Crimson Hawks: 21-8 overall, 10-4 PSAC West
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's volleyball team looks to take another step toward a third consecutive PSAC Tournament championship on Friday evening when the Golden Knights host the PSAC Final Four at Hagerty Family Events Center.
 
Gannon, the PSAC West regular-season champion, advanced to the semifinals and clinched hosting rights by defeating Seton Hill in three sets in Tuesday's quarterfinal at Hagerty Family Events Center.
 
Coach Matt Darling's Gannon squad will take on East Stroudsburg, the No. 3 seed from the Eastern Division, in the second semifinal on Friday at 7:30 p.m. East Stroudsburg swept Shippensburg on Tuesday.  Friday's first semifinal will feature PSAC East regular-season champion Shepherd against PSAC West No. 2 seed IUP at 5 p.m.
 
Gannon learned on Thursday that it fared well among the PSAC All-Star selections. Senior libero Emma Hall (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year, and Darling was named PSAC West Coach of the Year, his sixth such honor from the PSAC in his 18 seasons.
 
Hall was joined on the All-PSAC West First Team by senior outside hitter Journey Blevins (Richwood, Ohio/North Union) and senior middle blocker Ali Sorenson (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way East). Senior right side hitter Hailey Koch (Littleton, Col./Dakota Ridge) and junior setter Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey/Private Çankaya Doga Anatolian) were voted to the All-PSAC West Second Team. Gannon led all PSAC West teams with five honorees.
 
Darling's team will face an East Stroudsburg squad that features the PSAC East Athlete of the Year, Anna Coulter. She won that award for the second consecutive year. The 6-foot junior middle blocker led the PSAC with a .445 hitting percentage, which ranks second nationally in NCAA Division II. Her average of 1.43 blocks per set also ranks No. 4 in the nation.
 
The winners of Friday's two semifinals will meet in the championship match on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Hagerty Family Events Center.
 

Scouting the Gannon Golden Knights:
Coach: Matt Darling
Team leaders: Hailey Koch (Littleton, Col./Dakota Ridge) 306 kills, Journey Blevins (Richwood, Ohio/North Union) 286 kills, Ali Sorenson (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way East) 249 kills, Carissa Treser (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) 212 kills; Sorenson .377 hitting percentage; Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey/Private Çankaya Doga Anatolian) 1,043 assists; Emma Hall (Lowell, Mich./Lowell) 559 digs; Arslan 284 digs; Sorenson 135 blocks, Lauren Atwell (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) 124 blocks.
PSAC West All-Stars: Matt Darling (Coach of the Year); Hall (Defensive Athlete of the Year, First Team); Blevins (First Team), Sorenson (First Team); Koch (Second Team), Arslan (Second Team).
 
Scouting the East Stroudsburg Warriors:
Coach: Tricia Melfy
Team leaders: Anna Coulter 350 digs, Kelly Crites 204 kills; Coulter .445 hitting percentage; Taylor Haan 906 assists; Leonor Chambel 405 digs, Haan 217 digs, Crites 213 digs; Coulter 133 blocks.
PSAC East All-Stars: Coulter (Athlete of the Year, First Team), Chambel (Second Team), Haan (Second Team).
 
Scouting the Shepherd Rams:
Coach: Alex Hoekstra
Team leaders: Joi Fairweather 269 kills, Rylee Lenz 244 kills, Sophia Ryan 228 kills, Amaya Davis 225 kills; Macy Buso 976 assists; Harli Zeitz 405 digs, Buso 251 digs, Jordan Pryor 224 digs, Sydney Babb 209 digs; Ryan 145 blocks, Fairweather 121 blocks, Lenz 112 blocks.
PSAC East All-Stars: Alex Hoekstra (Coach of the Year), Fairweather (First Team), Lenz (First Team), Ryan (First Team), Buso (Second Team), Zeitz (Second Team).
 
Scouting the Indiana Crimson Hawks:
Coach: Lorelle Hoyer
Team leaders: Jessica Neiman 258 kills, Nyla Birch 172 kills; Olivia Heidel 749 assists; Bailey Flowerdew 474 digs, Simay Memisoglu 229 digs; Lauren Valentic 98 blocks.
PSAC West All-Stars: Neiman (Freshman of the Year, Second Team), Valentic (First Team).