ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's volleyball team celebrated Senior Day with a convincing three-set sweep of Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon at the Highmark Events Center, extending its winning streak to five matches with a 25-17, 25-18, 25-13 victory in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division action.
Senior
Carissa Treser (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) led the Golden Knights with a season-high 10 kills, hitting .318, as Gannon improved to 20-4 overall and 10-2 in conference play. The Golden Knights turned in an impressive offensive performance, hitting .381 as a team while recording 11 service aces.
The victory marked Gannon's 20th win of the season and completed a 2-0 weekend after the Golden Knights rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Clarion in five sets on Friday night.
Following Saturday's match, Gannon honored six members of its senior class —
Lauren Atwell (Mars, Pa./Mars Area),
Carissa Treser (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny),
Nehir Yazicioglu (Ankara, Turkey),
Reese Sitter (Hagerstown, Md./Washington County Technical),
Brooke Gwiazda (Frankfort, Ill./Peotone) and
Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) — for their contributions to the volleyball program.
"I think it puts us in a better position in terms of the playoffs," said head coach
Matt Darling of the 2-0 weekend. "Obviously, we have work to do against some tough competition on the road next weekend, but getting two wins this weekend was step one."
Darling also credited the team's focus on sending its seniors out with a victory.
"I think Senior Day helped us, honestly. The non-seniors, we said, 'Hey, look, our job today is to make sure we send the seniors out with the wins.' So that fact alone, I think, really helped focus us."
The Game Facts
Score: Gannon 3, Slippery Rock 0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-13)
Records: Gannon (20-4, 10-2 PSAC West); Slippery Rock (7-17, 1-11 PSAC West)
Location: Highmark Events Center – Erie, Pa.
Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
The Knight Cap
- Season-High for Treser: Senior Carissa Treser (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny) led the Golden Knights with a season-high 10 kills on 22 attempts, hitting .318 while adding two block assists.
- Dominant Offensive Performance: Gannon hit .381 for the match, recording 39 kills against just seven attack errors on 84 attempts. The Golden Knights improved their hitting percentage in each set, finishing with a .480 clip in the third.
- Williams Shines: Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) contributed eight kills without an attack error, hitting .471, while leading all players with four service aces. She also added seven digs.
- Efficient Attack: Carlee Webber (Anamosa, IA/Marion) finished with eight kills on 13 attempts for a .538 hitting percentage. Brooke Gwiazda (Frankfort, Ill./Peotone) added six kills and five block assists.
- Strong at the Service Line: The Golden Knights recorded 11 service aces, led by Williams with four and Alexis Fowler (Cranberry Township, PA/Eden Christian Academy) with three. Gabby Beaubrun (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) added two, while Ava Gainer (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) and Ela Demirel (Marmaris, Turkey/Marmaris Cagdas Bilim High School of Science) contributed one apiece.
- Setting the Offense: Gainer directed the offense with 18 assists, while Val Wadas (New Braunfels, TX./New Braunfels) contributed 11 assists.
- First-Set Control: Gannon opened the match with a 25-17 victory, recording 12 kills while holding Slippery Rock to a .091 hitting percentage.
- Finishing Strong: After taking the second set 25-18, Gannon closed the match with a 25-13 victory in the third. The Golden Knights recorded 14 kills with just two errors on 25 attempts for a .480 hitting percentage.
- Defensive Effort: Gannon limited Slippery Rock to a .120 hitting percentage and 29 kills. The Golden Knights also finished with six team blocks, with Gwiazda contributing five block assists.
- Senior Day Celebration: Following the match, Gannon honored Lauren Atwell (Mars, Pa./Mars Area), Carissa Treser (Sewickley, Pa./North Allegheny), Nehir Yazicioglu (Ankara, Turkey), Reese Sitter (Hagerstown, Md./Washington County Technical), Brooke Gwiazda (Frankfort, Ill./Peotone) and Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) for their contributions to the program. The Golden Knights celebrated the occasion with their fifth consecutive victory and 20th win of the season.
Up Next
Gannon wraps up the 2026 regular season next weekend with a pair of PSAC West road matches. The Golden Knights travel to Pitt-Johnstown on Friday, November 6, for a 6 p.m. matchup before closing out the regular season at IUP on Saturday, November 7.
This story was written using the support of AI.
