Errors End Shippensburg's Quest for its First PSAC Championship, Team Falls to Clarion in Semifinals
Nov. 9, 2007
SHIPPENSBURG,
Pa. – Hampered by a total of 46 errors, the Shippensburg
University women's volleyball team saw its quest for the program's
first-ever PSAC championship come to an end Friday night as Clarion
handed the Lady Raiders a 30-25, 25-30, 30-25, 30-21 defeat in the
semifinals of the 2007 PSAC Volleyball Championship being hosted at
Shippensburg's Heiges Field House.
Shippensburg (30-11), who won its second PSAC Eastern Division championship
in the last four years earlier this season, committed 35 attack errors
for a mere .145 hitting percentage despite totaling 64 kills. In addition,
the Lady Raiders had 11 service errors.
Over the last two games, Shippensburg totaled 23 errors against just
27 kills while posting a .039 hitting percentage.
Meanwhile, Clarion had a .233 hitting percentage and was led by Sarah Fries who had a match-high 24 kills along with 18 digs.
Red-shirt sophomore Brittany Roche (Morrisville/Pennsbury) led the way with a team-high 18 kills for Shippensburg to go along with a career-high 20 digs. She also totaled 20 digs in a 3-2 win at Millersville on September 11.
Roche was one of four Lady Raiders to reach double figures in digs as junior Kelsi Hoffman (York/West York) had 19, junior Maureen DuVall (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) had 14 and sophomore Colleen Toomey (Reading/Muhlenberg) added 10.
DuVall also added a season-high 56 assists, matching her total
set in a 3-1 victory over Millersville at home on October 9.
She continues
to add to her single-season school record and now has 1,356
this year and 3,220 for her career, just nine shy of the school's
all-time record
held by Amber Schmerfeld.
Sophomore Kali Antolik (Johnstown/Westmont Hilltop) had
17 kills in the loss, raising her season total to 426 which moved
her
into second
place on the school's single-season list past current assistant
coach Missy Pierce who had 411 in 2006. Right behind her is
Roche, who now
has 422 kills this season and in third place for a single-season.
Meanwhile, Toomey, who added seven kills against Clarion, now
has 394 kills this year which is the sixth-most for a single-season
in
school
history.
The loss ended a four-match winning streak for the Lady Raiders
while dropping their season record against teams from the Western
Division
to 2-5. However, one of those wins came against Clarion back
on September 28 in a PSAC crossover at West Chester, 3-2.
For Clarion, the Golden Eagles will play California (Pa.) at
4:00 p.m., Saturday in the championship match after the Vulcans
defeated
Edinboro
earlier on Friday, 30-17, 30-25, 28-30, 30-17. California (Pa.)
will be looking for its fourth PSAC title and second in the
last three
years after defeating Lock Haven, 3-2 in 2005. Clarion will
be looking for
its second PSAC championship and first since 1988.
Meanwhile, Shippensburg will await the selections for the 2007
NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship which will be announced
on Monday,
November 12 at 9:00 a.m., via web cast at www.ncaasports.com.
Eight teams qualify for the NCAA Atlantic Region Championship
which will
be held November 15-17 at a site to be determined.
The champions from the PSAC, Conference Carolinas and CIAA
will receive automatic berths while the next five highest ranked
teams
will receive
at-large berths. The Lady Raiders were ranked fourth in the
latest Atlantic Region poll released on Thursday. California
(Pa.) is
the favorite to host as the Vulcans were ranked first.
- Lady Raider Volleyball -
