The Match Information

• #2W Gannon (21-5 Overall, 11-3 PSAC West) vs. #3E Shippensburg (19-10 Overall, 9-5 PSAC East)
• Wednesday, November 11 | 7:00 PM
• Highmark Events Center – Erie, Pa.

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's volleyball team begins its postseason journey on Wednesday, November 11, when the Golden Knights host Shippensburg in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament quarterfinals at the Highmark Events Center. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Gannon enters as the No. 2 seed in the Western Division after finishing the regular season with a 21-5 overall record and an 11-3 mark in conference play. The Golden Knights will face the Raiders, the No. 3 seed from the Eastern Division, who enter with a 19-10 overall record and a 9-5 conference mark.

The Golden Knights closed the regular season with a four-set victory over Western Division champion Indiana (Pa.) on November 7. After dropping the opening set 27-25, Gannon responded with 25-13 and 25-15 victories before securing the match with a 29-27 fourth-set win. Gannon enters postseason play having won seven of its last nine matches and sporting a 9-1 record at home.

"We're looking forward to taking part in the PSAC tournament and feel happy to have the chance to play in front of the home crowd," said head coach Matt Darling. "Hopefully we will have a good turnout for the match, which should be a very good one. Shippensburg has had a really good year playing in the Eastern Division, which has been very competitive this season. They will be ready for a battle, so we will need to be as well."

Wednesday marks Gannon's 17th appearance in the PSAC Tournament since joining the conference in 2008. All 17 appearances have come under Darling, who is in his 20th season leading the program. The Golden Knights have captured four PSAC championships (2012, 2016, 2022 and 2023) and finished as conference runners-up five times, including each of the past two seasons.

Gannon advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in both 2024 and 2025, bringing its program total to nine appearances. The Golden Knights have also reached the NCAA Final Four twice, in 2017 and 2021. Darling, the program's all-time winningest coach, has guided Gannon to five Atlantic Region championships.

This season marks the first time since 2017 that Gannon enters the PSAC Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the Western Division. The Golden Knights had earned the division's top seed in every conference tournament from 2018 through 2025, excluding 2020 when no tournament was held.

Gannon holds a 19-3 advantage in the all-time series against Shippensburg and will look to continue that success as it pursues its fifth PSAC championship.

The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal will advance to the PSAC semifinals on Saturday, November 14, to face the winner of No. 5W Seton Hill and No. 1E Shepherd. The PSAC Championship match is scheduled for Sunday, November 15.

With the highest remaining Western Division seed designated to host the semifinals and championship, Gannon could earn hosting rights if the Golden Knights advance and top-seeded Indiana (Pa.) is eliminated. If no Western Division teams advance to the semifinals, hosting duties will shift to the highest remaining Eastern Division seed.

Scouting Gannon

Gannon enters the postseason averaging 13.03 kills, 12.16 assists, 16.89 digs and 2.08 blocks per set. The Golden Knights are hitting .213 as a team while limiting opponents to a .134 hitting percentage. During conference play, Gannon leads the PSAC in opponent hitting percentage (.122) while ranking third in digs per set (16.75), fourth in hitting percentage (.217) and fifth in kills per set (12.60).

Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) leads Gannon with 351 kills, averaging 3.58 per set. The sophomore has also contributed 279 digs, 42 service aces and a team-leading 409 points. Williams has recorded 15 kill-dig double-doubles in 26 matches, including seven during conference play. Her most recent came in Gannon's regular-season finale against Indiana (Pa.), when she finished with 14 kills and 17 digs. She ranks fourth in the PSAC during conference play in both kills per set (3.62) and points per set (4.16).

Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) ranks second on the team with 259 kills while hitting .294 and contributing 45 blocks. The returning AVCA All-America honorable mention selection ranks ninth in the PSAC during conference play with a .313 hitting percentage. Carlee Webber (Anamosa, IA/Marion) has added 168 kills while hitting .290 and leads the Golden Knights with 89 blocks. Webber ranks 12th in conference hitting percentage (.293).

Nehir Yazicioglu (Ankara, Turkey) has contributed 176 kills, while Brooke Gwiazda (Frankfort, Ill./Peotone) has added 141 kills and 64 blocks. Ella Woltman (Munster, Ind./Munster) has provided depth off the bench with 92 kills in 51 sets.

Setter Ava Gainer (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) directs the offense with 953 assists, averaging 9.72 per set, while adding 236 digs, 29 service aces and 52 blocks. Gainer ranks fifth in the PSAC during conference play with 8.42 assists per set.

Defensively, Alexis Fowler (Cranberry Township, PA/Eden Christian Academy) leads Gannon with 427 digs, averaging 4.36 per set. Fowler ranks 11th in the PSAC during conference play with 3.96 digs per set. Gabby Beaubrun (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) has added 208 digs, while Addi Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) has contributed 195 digs and 24 service aces.

Gannon enters the PSAC Tournament ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region National Power Index (NPI) with a rating of 61.042, ranking 30th nationally. Shepherd (60.432) and Indiana (Pa.) (60.299) follow in second and third place in the region, respectively.

Scouting Shippensburg

Shippensburg enters Wednesday's quarterfinal with a 19-10 overall record and a 9-5 mark in PSAC East play. The Raiders earned the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Division and received a first-round bye after closing the regular season with a three-set victory over East Stroudsburg on November 6.

The Raiders are guided by head coach Leanne Piscotty, who is in her 22nd season leading the program. The winningest and longest-tenured coach in Shippensburg history, Piscotty has a 482-281 career record. She has guided the Raiders to 17 PSAC Tournament berths, eight NCAA Tournament appearances and the program's PSAC championship in 2015.

Shippensburg averages 12.33 kills, 11.48 assists, 16.88 digs and 2.15 blocks per set while hitting .186 as a team. During conference play, the Raiders rank second in the PSAC in digs per set (16.92), fourth in blocks per set (2.32) and sixth in hitting percentage (.193).

Elise Bragg leads Shippensburg with 223 kills, averaging 2.40 per set, while adding 211 digs. Natalya Montague follows with 201 kills and a team-leading 92 blocks, ranking fifth in the PSAC during conference play with 1.08 blocks per set.
Clara Wildermuth has contributed 175 kills, while Hailey Cappleman has added 162 kills and 70 blocks. Kylie Snyder has recorded 89 kills and 66 blocks, ranking sixth in the PSAC during conference play with 1.08 blocks per set.

Setter Jaiden Anderson leads the Raiders with 767 assists, averaging 7.24 per set. Anderson ranks sixth in the PSAC during conference play with 8.21 assists per set, while Molly Seifert has added 231 assists.

Defensively, Shay Kolivoski leads Shippensburg with 510 digs, averaging 4.95 per set. Kolivoski ranks fourth in the PSAC during conference play with 5.23 digs per set. Anderson has contributed 272 digs, while Shea Stevens has added 262.
Shippensburg enters the postseason ranked 10th in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region NPI standings and 90th nationally, holding a rating of 54.189.

Wednesday's matchup features two of the PSAC's top defensive teams, with Shippensburg ranking second in conference digs per set and Gannon following closely in third. The Golden Knights will look to use their home-court advantage and defensive strength to advance to the conference semifinals.

The PSAC Tournament champion will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship, while the remaining teams will compete for at-large selections.