KUTZTOWN, Pa. (October 1, 2011) – The Kutztown University women's volleyball team rebounded with an impressive conference win against East Stroudsburg Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup at Keystone Arena.  (BOXSCORE)
 
The Golden Bears (14-5 overall, 4-4 PSAC) won in straight sets, 25-12, 25-23, 25-20, against the Warriors (4-12, 2-6) to put them in second place in the Eastern Division. 
 
KU wasted no time hitting the floor and showing fans in attendance how dominant of a team they can be, opening up to an early 13-5 lead in the first set.  The early spark was a great sign to see from the Golden Bears after suffering a setback the night before to Lock Haven.
 
“It's always nice when you are able to bounce back with a win, especially after a quick turnaround,” head women's volleyball coach John Gump said.  “When you walk out of the gym late at night on Friday and then are back in the gym early Saturday to watch tape of the next match, it's a lot to put on a team.  I think we handled it great and did a lot of things well today.”
 
Erin Kissling (York, PA/Central York) led KU on the offensive end, tallying a game-high ten kills.  The senior has had double-digit kills in back-to-back games for KU, along with seven this season.  Not only is she a major threat for KU on the front line, Kissling also does a great job of keeping the ball in play on defense.  She had nine digs in the victory and is second on the team with 176 on the season.
 
Kissling has been able to contribute every time she wears the maroon-and-gold during her career, both on and off the court.  From her exceptional talent on the floor, to her unique style of celebration when announced in pre-match player introductions, Kissling continues to show how much of an asset she can be to this team.
 
“We have started to get Erin more involved in the offense,” Gump said.  “She really does a nice job coming out of serve-receive, so we've moved her around a little bit, trying to find good matchups for her.  When we can get her in a good spot in the middle of the court, you know she is going to put the ball through the floor.”
 
Despite the seemingly-typical win, KU had a major obstacle to overcome heading into Saturday's match.  With senior libero Lindsey Smith (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) out with an injury, junior Brittany Harman (Hanover, PA/South Western) stepped up to the challenge of helping lead the team to a victory.  Usually an offensive hitter, Harman found herself on the back line Saturday and racked up a game-high 13 digs.  She has been a great addition for KU and has proved she will do anything she can to help her team get a win. 
 
Seniors Cait Hess (Newark, DE/St. Mark's) and Cali Snell (York, PA/York Suburban) each had nine kills against ESU, and also finished with four total blocks.  Hess leads KU with 158 kills this season, followed by Snell with 142.  If KU continues to get outstanding performances from its top upperclassman, it is certain to be a significant contender looking ahead to the postseason.
 
“We were really resilient today to come back with a win,” Kissling said.  “We passed real well and our setters made some really good decisions of who to get the ball to.  Brittany did a real good job as well filling in for Lindsey.”
 
Kutztown trailed ESU 22-20 in the second set and needed some energy to make a comeback.  Hess was able to drive home a pair of kills late in the set to bring KU back to a tie at 23, before Liz DiValerio (King of Prussia, PA/Upper Merion) notched a set-winning kill off an assist from Kissling.  DiValerio, a sophomore, has filled in nicely on the team this year and closed out the day with six kills.
 
ESU was led by junior Kaitlin Behrens with nine kills in the match, with Alexandra Williams and Annabelle Charlton each recording six kills.  Katie O'Neill had a team-high 11 digs and Allye Prezioso finished with 14 assists.
 
The Golden Bears travel to Georgian Court on Monday, Oct. 3 for a non-conference game beginning at 7 p.m.  KU returns home to host a two-day set of PSAC crossover matches on Friday, Oct. 7 and 8.
 
“This was a big confidence booster to get a conference win today,” Kissling said.  “We feel we are doing really well against the Eastern teams, and we just need to keep that same mentality when we play the teams from the West.”