KUTZTOWN, PA (November 8, 2010) – Another chapter in one of the wonderful NCAA Division II volleyball rivalries will be written Tuesday when Kutztown University hosts Shippensburg University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) quarterfinal match at Keystone Arena beginning at 7 p.m.
Tickets to the PSAC quarterfinal will be sold at the gym. Prices are $7 for adults and $2 for students/children. Free admission is available to students from PSAC member institutions with a valid school identification card. Conference passes will be accepted. No complimentary tickets are available.
The Golden Bears (20-10 overall) enter the PSAC quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed while the Red Raiders (19-15) are the No. 3 seed. These two teams met in this same round last year with Shippensburg claiming a 3-1 victory that terminated Kutztown's 2009 season. Kutztown beat Shippensburg in the first round of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regionals in 2007.
“The rivalry has been born out of the success of the two programs,” Kutztown head volleyball coach John Gump said. “Three of the last four years we have faced each other at some point in the postseason, and I think the regular season matches are now played with a little more intensity knowing there's a good chance we'll see each other in a playoff match. Because there tends to be quite a bit at stake when we play a rivalry has developed and I think it's one that brings out the best in both teams.”
The winner of this match will meet the winner of the Gannon-Clarion contest Friday night at the home of the highest remaining seeded team in the West. Clarion won the PSAC West regular season title. The other quarterfinal matches are West Chester at Lock Haven; California at Edinboro and Gannon at Clarion.
The Golden Bears have had a strong season, but they aren't satisfied and would like nothing more than to earn a trip across the state this weekend by beating Shippensburg. The Golden Bears are thrilled to be home again after a three-week hiatus.
While last year's defeat is in the back of their heads, the Golden Bears aren't spending much time dwelling on the past.
“Losing last year to Shippensburg in our house was something we learned from,” Kutztown junior Cali Snell (York, PA/York Suburban) said. “A really smart woman told me once you never learn anything by winning, other than we are better than them. By losing, we grew and realized the drive and the heart that has to be present to win. We are a different team, we have goals, and we are focused. Last year will be remembered, but we focus on the future, not the past.”
Kutztown beat Shippensburg 25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-19 on Oct. 2. The Red Raiders returned the favor Oct. 29 by claiming a 26-24, 25-23, 25-12 victory that ended KU's four-match winning streak. Shippensburg is 9-2 in its last 11 matches. Meanwhile, KU is 6-5 over that same span.
The Golden Bears enter this match ranked ninth in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings. Kutztown has had a lot to celebrate this season from its first victory over Lock Haven since 2007 to winning its first eight matches to a thrilling five-set triumph over West Chester.
The season has also included some bright individual moments as well. Senior
Jamie Celia (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) is the all-time leader in school history with 212. She also set the single-season school record for service aces in a single season with 62. Junior Katie Lutz (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle Antrim) established a school record with 20 blocks in a memorable effort over West Chester. Senior Lindsay Confer (Wingate, PA/Bald Eagle) also became the sixth player in KU volleyball history to reach 1,000-career kills.
KU setters
Dana Wright (Warminster, PA/Saint Basil Academy) and Kimberlee Gomber (Washington, PA/Washington) have run the offense with a veterans' poise. Wright leads the Golden Bears with 476 assists and Gomber has contributed 457 helpers.
“If the postseason has started and you're still playing, that's always a good thing. 20 wins is a really nice accomplishment, particularly when you only play 30 regular season matches and compete in the toughest conference in the region,” Gump said. “It's a credit to our players, who have worked very hard, and I'm very happy for them that we have been able to reach the 20-win mark and put ourselves back into the regional rankings.”
Lutz and Celia continue to rank at or near the top of the PSAC in a few categories. Lutz leads the conference in blocks per game (1.42). Celia is second in the PSAC in service aces per game (0.67) and digs per contest (4.81). Confer, Snell, and Cait Hess (Newark, DE/St. Mark's) each have over 200 kills for Kutztown this season. Confer leads the Golden Bears with 232 kills. Hess has added 216 and Snell has contributed 208.
Meanwhile, Shippensburg will be competing in the PSAC tournament for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in seven seasons under head coach Leanne Piscotty. SU has reached the PSAC tournament 11 times in the past 20 years and 20 times in its 31-year history but is still seeking its first conference championship. SU is 3-0 in PSAC quarterfinal matches under Piscotty.
Red Raider freshman Jill Edwards leads the PSAC with 444 kills, hitting .235. She has also totaled 323 digs – achieving 14 double-doubles in 34 matches. Junior Libby Woffindin has set SU's single-season school record for block assists with 113. Sophomore Andrea Heimsoth has totaled 786 assists – more than six per set – and leads the team with 48 service aces. She has also contributed 238 digs.
“We will need to handle the ball in serve receive much better than we did in the match at Ship in October,” Gump said. “We need to apply pressure with our offense to try to keep them out of what they want to do because they are a very tough offense to stop when they are in-system and playing well. It will be important for us to execute well and take advantage of the chances we get to score.”
--KU--
