Lady Raiders Close Season with Fifth-Straight Win, Set School Record for Wins

Oct. 28, 2006

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - With victories over Millersville and Wilmington (Delaware) on the final day of the season, the Shippensburg women's volleyball team set a new school mark for wins in a season with 24, breaking a record that was previously held by the 1982 squad.

On an afternoon that also served as senior day for Shippensburg (24-13, 5-5 PSAC East) seniors Missy Pierce (Valparaiso, Ind./West Aurora (Ill.)) and Erin Graf (Laurel, Md./Atholton), the Lady Raiders closed out PSAC Eastern Division action with a five-game win over Millersville, 20-30, 32-31, 30-21, 25-30, 15-7. Later, Shippensburg breezed past Wilmington (Delaware) 30-13, 30-20, 30-20.

Against Millersville, Pierce led the way 16 kills and season-high 30 digs. Freshman Colleen Toomey (Reading/Muhlenberg) delivered a 20-kill performance while committing just four errors on 51 total attempts for a .353 hitting percentage. Freshman Kali Antolik (Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop) recorded 16 kills, two block solos and two block assists. Toomey and Antolik both tied career highs for digs in a match.

Sophomore Maureen DuVall (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) also tied a career high, recording 59 assists, matching her previous-best which came on Oct. 29, 2005 against Gettysburg. Freshman Missy Ramp (York/Central York) tallied a team-high five service aces as well.

In the three-game win over Wilmington, Pierce closed her four-year career with 16 kills and a .410 hitting percentage. She also tallied 18 digs and two service aces. Graf, in her final match, posted 13 kills, one block assist and one block solo. DuVall led the team with 37 assists.

With 32 kills and 48 digs on the day, Pierce pushed her career totals to 1,242 kills and 1,899 digs. Pierce, a three-time All-PSAC Eastern Division selection, closes a stellar four-year career as the Lady Raider's all-time leader in digs, besting former teammate and record holder Michelle Doughty's career mark by 216 digs.

Pierce finishes second on the career kills list, falling 97 kills short of Alyssa Kilgore's total of 1,339 set from 2001-04. She is also just one of three Lady Raiders to finish her career with both 1,000 career kills and digs. On the season, Pierce totaled 411 kills and 466 digs.

Graf spent two seasons with the Lady Raiders after spending two years at Howard Community College. At Shippensburg, Graf totaled 253 kills and 57 total blocks.

- Lady Raider Volleyball -