Pierce Becomes Career Digs Leader, Hoffman Reaches 1,000 in 3-1 Win at Millersville

Oct. 3, 2006

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - With 37 digs, Shippensburg volleyball senior Missy Pierce (Valparaiso, Ind./West Aurora (IL)) became the school's career digs leader in a 3-1 victory at Millersville on Tuesday night in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Lady Raiders extended their win streak to seven with game scores of 30-22, 30-27, 18-30, 30-24.

Pierce, who surpassed former teammate Michelle Doughty who set the record last year as a senior with 1,683 career digs, became the first player in team history to surpass the 1,700 mark and now has 1,710.

Ironically for Pierce, who holds the single-match record for digs by a non-libero with 39, the majority of her total came in the final two games when she played as the team's libero in place of freshman Kelsi Hoffman (York/West York).

Meanwhile, with 12 digs this evening, Hoffman also reached a defensive milestone by totaling her 1,000th career dig as she now has 1,001 in two-plus seasons with the Lady Raiders. Last year, Hoffman set the school, single-season record for digs with 765 in the same year that Doughty set the record for digs by a non-libero with 568.

As far as the team is concerned, Shippensburg (15-9, 2-3 PSAC East) moved to within a half-match of West Chester for the third and final seed from the Eastern Division for the PSAC Volleyball Championship. The Lady Raiders have a conference mark of 2-3 and the Golden Rams are 2-2 following tonight's 3-2 loss at home to East Stroudsburg.

East Stroudsburg is in first-place with a mark of 4-0, followed by Kutztown, who improved its PSAC Eastern Division mark to 4-1 with tonight's 3-0 win against Cheyney. The Marauders (12-14, 1-4 PSAC East) are in fifth.

Pierce also added six kills to raise her career total to 1,108 while freshmen Colleen Toomey (Reading/Muhlenberg) and Missy Ramp (York/Central York) each totaled double-doubles. Toomey had 13 kills and 19 digs while Ramp had 15 digs and 25 assists.

Other offensive leaders for the Lady Raiders included freshman Cindel Young (McConnellsburg/Broadfoarding Christian), who was named PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Week this afternoon, and freshman Kali Antolik (Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop). Each totaled 10 kills apiece.

In the team's 6-2 offensive set, sophomore Maureen Duvall (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) added 21 assists.

Shippensburg opens competition in this weekend's Wheeling Jesuit Tournament on Friday against the host Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. The Lady Raiders then continue competition on Saturday with two matches against Mount Olive and West Virginia Wesleyan.

- Lady Raider Volleyball -