Behind a career night from outside hitter Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson), the Gannon volleyball team rolled into the PSAC Semifinals with a commanding 3–0 sweep of West Chester on Tuesday night.

Wake powered the offense with 22 kills, surpassing her previous season high of 16 set on October 25 at Cedarville.

The victory also preserved Gannon's perfect series record, pushing the program to 19–0 all-time against the Golden Rams.

"When you get to the next round of the playoffs, it was a good night," said head coach Matt Darling. "Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) was amazing tonight, but we had good passing and setter play to complement her performance. West Chester blocked well, but we found ways to score. I'm happy to be moving on."
 
THE GAME FACTS
Final Score: Gannon 3, West Chester 0 (25–20, 25–20, 25–20)
Records: Gannon 23–6 • West Chester 19–10 
Location: Highmark Events Center (Erie, Pa.)
Date: November 18, 2025
 
THE KNIGHT CAP

• Wake's Career Night: Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) delivered a sensational 22-kill performance on .405 hitting, the best outing of her career and a new season high.
• Balanced Supporting Cast: Lauren Atwell (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) (8 kills), Nehir Yazicioglu (Ankara, Turkey) (5), and Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) (4) provided steady scoring at the net.
• Strong First Contact: Setter Bengisu Arslan (Ankara, Turkey/Private Çankaya Doga Anatolian) directed the attack with 40 assists, helping Gannon stay in rhythm throughout the sweep.
• Dominant Series Record: Gannon improves to 19–0 all-time against West Chester.
• PSAC Crossover Impact: Under the new PSAC Crossover format, the West nearly swept the East three of four matches went to the Western Division, but East Stroudsburg's win secured their right to host the 2025 PSAC Volleyball Championship.
• Around the League: IUP swept Shepherd 3–0, while Pitt-Johnstown rallied to defeat Shippensburg in five sets.
• Historic Consistency: The victory marks Gannon's ninth straight PSAC Semifinal appearance and the 16th consecutive PSAC Tournament berth under head coach Matt Darling.

 
Up Next
Gannon will face Pitt-Johnstown, the No. 3 seed in the PSAC West, in the first semifinal at 5 p.m. on Friday at East Stroudsburg. The Golden Knights swept UPJ 3–0 in the regular season and hold a 24–4 all-time series lead.

Game 2 of the night will feature host East Stroudsburg, the No. 1 seed in the East, against IUP, the No. 2 seed in the West at 7:00 PM.

The winners of both semifinals will advance to the 2025 PSAC Volleyball Championship, with the champion earning the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament.

This story was written using the support of AI.