2026 PSAC WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL FINAL FOUR PREVIEW

PSAC SEMIFINALS

MATCH 1: 2W GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (22-5, 11-3 PSAC West) vs. 5W SETON HILL GRIFFINS (15-11, 6-8 PSAC West)

MATCH 2: 1W IUP CRIMSON HAWKS (22-5, 12-2 PSAC West) vs. 3W CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (20-8, 10-4 PSAC West)

DATE/TIME: Saturday, November 14, 2026 | 1 p.m.

ARENA/LOCATION: Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (KCAC) | Indiana, Pa.

PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP
DATE/TIME: Sunday, November 15, 2026 | 1 p.m.
MATCHUP: Semifinal winners

ADMISSION
Adults: $12 | Students (non-PSAC institutions): $7
PSAC students with valid ID: Free

PARKING INFORMATION
Saturday, November 14 (Semifinals): $10
Sunday, November 15 (Championship): Free
  ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon volleyball team continues its pursuit of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship on Saturday, November 14, when the Golden Knights face familiar foe Seton Hill in the PSAC Tournament semifinals. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Indiana, Pa.

The Golden Knights (22-5), the No. 2 seed in the PSAC West, advanced to the conference semifinals following a 3-0 sweep of Shippensburg on Wednesday evening at the Highmark Events Center. Gannon prevailed by scores of 25-20, 25-19 and 25-17 to earn its spot among the final four teams remaining in the tournament.

Gannon is making its 10th consecutive PSAC Final Four appearance and 12th overall in the past 14 conference tournaments. The Golden Knights have advanced to the semifinals in every PSAC Tournament since 2016, with the 2020 championship canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Golden Knights have also reached the 20-win plateau for the 17th time under head coach Matt Darling and sixth consecutive season. Gannon has recorded at least 20 victories in every season since 2009, excluding the shortened 2020 campaign.

Seton Hill (15-11), the No. 5 seed in the West, enters Saturday's matchup riding a two-match winning streak after defeating Pitt-Johnstown, 3-1, in the opening round before sweeping PSAC East top seed Shepherd, 3-0, in Wednesday's quarterfinals.

All four remaining teams hail from the PSAC Western Division, with top-seeded IUP facing No. 3 seed Clarion in Saturday's second semifinal at 3:30 p.m. The two winners will meet Sunday, November 15, at 1 p.m. for the conference championship.

"We're very excited to be heading to Indiana and the conference finals, where we'll see some familiar foes," said head coach Matt Darling. "All of the remaining teams are incredibly tough, so the matches should be very competitive. I'm glad we're a part of the event."

Gannon and Seton Hill Meet for Third Time

Saturday's semifinal marks the third meeting between Gannon and Seton Hill this season, with the Golden Knights winning both regular-season contests. Gannon leads the all-time series, 30-6, against the Griffins.

Despite those victories, the Griffins challenged Gannon in both meetings and enter the postseason matchup with momentum following their impressive quarterfinal performance against Shepherd, the No. 1 seed in the PSAC East.

"Seton Hill has put together some very impressive wins, and they played us to the very end of both matches this season," Darling said. "They dominated a very good Shepherd team on Wednesday. Even though we won both our matches this year, they certainly will come into the match knowing that they can compete—and, since they're on a good streak right now, I expect this to be a battle."

The Griffins are 1-2 against Gannon in PSAC Tournament play and 2-3 overall in postseason meetings. Seton Hill defeated Gannon in the 2018 PSAC championship match and again in the NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinals that season. Gannon won the 2024 PSAC Tournament meeting and two postseason matchups in 2019.

Seton Hill is making its third PSAC Final Four appearance in program history and first since 2018, when the Griffins captured their only PSAC championship with a victory over Gannon. The Griffins also reached the championship match in 2014, falling to California (Pa.).
 
Scouting Seton Hill

The Griffins are led offensively by senior Catie Flohr, who was named the 2026 PSAC West Athlete of the Year after leading the conference in both kills and points during the regular season. Flohr totaled 453 regular-season kills, averaging 4.49 per set, and 515 points (5.10 per set), finishing with 58 more kills than any other player in the conference. 

In PSAC play, Flohr also led the league in kills per set (4.33) and points per set (5.00).

Flohr, who was named the 2023 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, earned her fourth consecutive All-PSAC First Team selection. Entering Saturday's semifinal, she has increased her season totals to 483 kills, 264 digs, 52 blocks and 37 service aces.

Maddie Stout ranks second on the team with 301 kills while adding 290 digs and 30 blocks. Courtney Smith has contributed 247 kills and a team-high 38 service aces.

Emma Meurer anchors the Griffins at the net with a team-leading 98 blocks while adding 183 kills. Setter Mallory Meinen has directed the offense with 997 assists, ranking second in the PSAC during conference play with 10.59 assists per set. Kendyl Wagner leads the defensive effort with 525 digs and ranked third in the conference with 5.28 digs per set in PSAC matches.

Seton Hill placed three players on the All-PSAC West teams, with Flohr earning First Team recognition and Meurer and Wagner receiving Second Team honors.

Golden Knights Enter Semifinals with Momentum

Sophomore Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) has emerged as Gannon's leading offensive threat, recording 351 kills during the regular season while averaging 3.58 per set. Williams, a First Team All-PSAC West selection, also contributed 279 digs, 42 service aces and 29 blocks, totaling a team-leading 409 points.

In PSAC play, Williams ranked fourth in the conference in both kills per set (3.62) and points per set (4.16), while ranking 10th in service aces per set (0.42). She recorded 16 kills and 10 digs in Wednesday's quarterfinal victory over Shippensburg.

Senior Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson), who earned her second consecutive First Team All-PSAC West selection, ranked ninth in the conference with a .313 hitting percentage during PSAC play. Wake also recorded a team-high 19 digs in the quarterfinal victory.

Setter Ava Gainer (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) has helped direct the Gannon offense, ranking fifth in the PSAC during conference play with 8.42 assists per set.

Defensively, sophomore Alexis Fowler (Cranberry Township, PA/Eden Christian Academy) has anchored a Gannon unit that limited opponents to a .134 hitting percentage overall and a conference-best .122 mark in PSAC play during the regular season. Fowler, who earned PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-Conference honors, totaled 427 digs (4.36 per set) and a .945 reception percentage on 385 serve-receive attempts. She ranked 11th in the PSAC with 3.96 digs per set in conference matches.

"I'm so proud of this year's team, which has battled through the ups and downs and has stuck together through it all," Darling said. "I'm glad we get to compete together in the conference finals."

Scouting the PSAC Tournament

The PSAC Tournament semifinals feature four teams from the Western Division, including regular-season champion IUP, Gannon, Clarion and Seton Hill.

IUP (22-5) captured the PSAC West regular-season championship with a 12-2 record, ending Gannon's streak of nine consecutive division regular-season titles. The Crimson Hawks advanced with a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over East Stroudsburg on Wednesday, winning by scores of 25-12, 25-16 and 26-24. Delaney Concannon led IUP with 17 kills, while Sammy Stephens added 14 kills and Mikalah Kim recorded eight blocks.

Clarion (20-8) secured its semifinal berth following a thrilling five-set victory over Lock Haven on Wednesday. The Golden Eagles prevailed 16-14 in the decisive fifth set, with Taylor Haupt recording 14 kills and a team-high 16 digs. Madelyn Mitchell added 12 kills, while Gracelynn Wolzen contributed 11.

Seton Hill (15-11) opened its postseason run with a 3-1 victory over Pitt-Johnstown before knocking off PSAC East top seed Shepherd in straight sets on Wednesday. Catie Flohr paced the Griffins with 15 kills and a .560 hitting percentage against the Rams, while Maddie Stout added 14 kills.

Gannon (22-5) completed the semifinal field with a 3-0 sweep of Shippensburg on Wednesday. Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) led the Golden Knights with 16 kills and 10 digs, while Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) recorded a team-high 19 digs.

Saturday's semifinals begin with Gannon facing Seton Hill at 1 p.m., followed by IUP against Clarion at 3:30 p.m. The winners advance to Sunday's championship match at 1 p.m., with the 2026 PSAC Women's Volleyball Tournament title and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament on the line.