Lady Raiders Close Season With 3-2 Win, But Miss PSAC Tournament

Nov. 5, 2005

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University volleyball team edged out a 38-36, 18-30, 30-26, 28-30, 15-11 victory at East Stroudsburg University in the team's regular-season finale, but a win by Kutztown University at Millersville University, denied the Lady Raiders its third-straight appearance in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament.

Shippensburg (22-17, 6-4 PSAC East) won its 10th match out its last 11, surpassing the win total of last season’s PSAC Eastern Division championship team by one game.

Entering the final day of regular-season matches this afternoon, five Eastern Division teams, Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg, Millersville, Kutztown and West Chester University were all vying for three division seeds in next week's PSAC tournament. In order to advance to the tournament, the Lady Raiders needed to beat East Stroudsburg and have Millersville defeat Kutztown at home.

The Warriors (15-14, 5-5 PSAC East) and Shippensburg alternated wins over the first four games with the Lady Raiders taking 38-36 victory in the first game. With the match tied at 2-2 heading into the deciding fifth game, Shippensburg was able to hang on for a 15-11 win to take the match, 3-2.

Senior Michelle Doughty (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) led the team in her final collegiate contest, posting a team-best 19 kills, 22 digs and two service aces. Freshman Maureen DuVall (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) capped a fine freshman season by posting 48 assists, 13 kills, three block assists, six aces and 15 digs.

DuVall finishes the season with 1,318 assists, setting a new school record for a single-season for the second-straight year, surpassing the old mark of 1,234 set by Amber Schmerfeld in 2004. DuVall also set a new single-season school record for service aces, recording 105 this year, 18 better than the previous 23-year old mark of 87 set by Shelly Stallsmith in 1982.

Junior Missy Pierce (Valparaiso, Ind./West Aurora (Ill.)) recorded 26 digs, 14 kills, one block assists and one block solo while freshman Kelly Dirks (Enola, Pa./Cumberland Valley) turned in five kills and one block assist.

As a result of its victory at Millersville in four games, Kutztown will host next week's PSAC championship as the top-seed from the Eastern Division. The other seeds from the East will be Millersville (No. 2-seed) and West Chester (No. 3-seed).

During this season, the Lady Raiders broke several school records. In addition to DuVall, freshman Kelsi Hoffman (York, Pa./West York) set a new school record for digs in a match and season as she finishes with 787, significantly surpassing the record of 512 set by teammate Missy Pierce last season.

Also, Doughty became the school’s career digs leader, finishing her career with 1,685. She also became just the second player in school history, joining former teammate Alyssa Kilgore, to record 1,000 kills and digs in a career. Doughty ends her career with 1,068 kills.

- Lady Raider Volleyball -