INDIANA, Pa. – The Gannon volleyball team overcame a slow start on Saturday afternoon, rallying for a 3-1 victory over Seton Hill University in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament semifinals at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex.
After dropping the opening set 25-15, the Golden Knights responded with three consecutive set victories, 25-17, 25-17 and 25-20, to secure their sixth consecutive PSAC Championship match appearance and 10th overall in program history. All 10 appearances have come under head coach
Matt Darling.
Gannon improved to 23-5 overall behind a team-high 15 kills from sophomore
Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts), while the Golden Knights finished with a .253 hitting percentage and 10 total team blocks.
"I'm really impressed with the team for bouncing back after a tough start to the match," said Gannon head coach
Matt Darling. "Seton Hill came out on fire, and they really took it to us in set one. But our team has been able to bounce back before, and today I thought we played one of our better matches after the slow start. It's great to be moving on."
The Golden Knights will take on host Indiana (Pa.) in Sunday's PSAC Championship match after the Crimson Hawks swept Clarion in Saturday's other semifinal. The contest will feature the top two teams from the PSAC West regular-season standings, with IUP capturing the division title at 12-2 and Gannon finishing second at 11-3.
IUP's division title ended a nine-season stretch in which Gannon finished atop or tied atop its divisional regular-season standings, marking the first time since 2015 that the Golden Knights did not finish in first place.
Gannon will face IUP for the third time this season after the two teams split their regular-season series. The Crimson Hawks swept the Golden Knights in their first meeting before Gannon responded with a 3-1 victory on the road at IUP.
The championship matchup will also feature the top two teams in the Atlantic Region's NCAA Division II Numeric Performance Indicator (NPI) rankings. Gannon leads the region and ranks No. 26 nationally with an NPI of 61.436, while Indiana (Pa.) ranks second in the region and No. 30 nationally with an NPI of 61.007.
With the teams occupying the top two spots in the Atlantic Region, Sunday's contest could have significant implications for which program earns the opportunity to host the NCAA Atlantic Regional.
Sunday's championship will also feature a rematch of the 2024 PSAC Tournament title match, when IUP defeated Gannon in four sets (25-23, 17-25, 25-14, 25-14) in Erie.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: Gannon 3, Seton Hill 1 (15-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-20)
Records: Gannon (23-5), Seton Hill (15-12)
Location: Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex – Indiana, Pa.
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Championship Pedigree: The Golden Knights have captured four PSAC Tournament championships (2012, 2016, 2022 and 2023) under head coach Matt Darling. Gannon has finished as the tournament runner-up in each of the past two seasons and will be seeking its fifth conference championship on Sunday.
- Williams Leads the Way: Sophomore outside hitter Abbey Williams (Chicago, Ill./Mother Mcauley Liberal Arts) paced the Golden Knights with 15 kills on 38 attacks, finishing with a .316 hitting percentage. The 5-foot-10 standout added 17 digs, two service aces and three block assists to finish with a team-high 18.5 points and a double-double.
- Webber Makes an Impact: Carlee Webber (Anamosa, IA/Marion) delivered an impressive performance at the net, recording nine kills on 21 attacks with just two errors for a .333 hitting percentage. Webber also contributed a team-high seven block assists and one service ace, finishing with 13.5 points.
- Balanced Offensive Attack: Nehir Yazicioglu (Ankara, Turkey) joined Williams in double figures with 11 kills, while Sydney Wake (Massillon, Ohio/Jackson) and Webber each added nine. Brooke Gwiazda (Frankfort, Ill./Peotone) chipped in five kills, and Ava Gainer (Wheeling, W.Va./The Linsly School) contributed three without an attack error.
- Golden Knights Find Their Rhythm: After hitting .158 in the opening set, Gannon improved its offensive efficiency in each of the next two sets. The Golden Knights hit .257 in the second set before producing their best attacking performance in the third, recording 16 kills with just two errors on 36 attempts for a .389 hitting percentage. Gannon finished the match hitting .253 compared to Seton Hill's .153.
- Strong at the Net: Gannon held a 10-3 advantage in total team blocks, led by Webber's seven block assists. Yazicioglu added four block assists, while Williams contributed three. Gwiazda finished with one solo block and two block assists.
- Defensive Contributions: Williams and Alexis Fowler (Cranberry Township, PA/Eden Christian Academy) shared the team lead with 17 digs apiece, while Gabby Beaubrun (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) added 12 and Addi Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) finished with 10. Gannon totaled 76 digs compared to Seton Hill's 74.
- Setting Up the Offense: Val Wadas (New Braunfels, TX./New Braunfels) recorded a team-high 21 assists to go along with eight digs and one service ace. Gainer followed closely with 20 assists as the Golden Knights finished with 44 assists as a team.
- Griffins' Leaders: Catie Flohr led Seton Hill with a match-high 20 kills and 13 digs, while Maddie Stout recorded 12 kills and 19 digs. Kendyl Wagner registered a match-high 28 digs, and Mallory Meinen distributed 45 assists.
Up Next
Gannon will face host Indiana (Pa.) in the PSAC Championship match on Sunday, November 15, at 1 p.m. at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Complex in Indiana, Pa., with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
