KUTZTOWN, Pa. (October 13, 2011) – The Kutztown University women's volleyball team has been one of the top teams in the conference this season and hopes to keep its hot streak alive with a crucial weekend matchup.
 
KU hosts West Chester University Friday night for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) contest at Keystone Arena.  Game-time is set for 7 p.m.
 
The Golden Bears (18-6 overall, 7-5 PSAC) are in second place in the Eastern Division and are a half-game behind first place Lock Haven.  The Golden Rams (15-9, 5-6) sit in third place in the East and are sure to give KU a run for its money in Friday's conference showdown.
 
Kutztown and West Chester split its two matchups last season with each team pulling out hard-earned road victories.
 
KU enters the final quarter of its season with great confidence and aspirations of making its fifth consecutive trip to the postseason.  It has won seven of its last nine matches while earning some dominant and monumental victories along the way.
 
The highlight of KU's season thus far could very well be its dramatic 3-2 home victory over Gannon on Oct. 7.  Gannon has been a perennial power in the PSAC and entered the match against KU undefeated in conference play.  Kutztown had never beaten Gannon in recent history, and the victory is surely holding a strong place with some of the team's seasoned veterans.
 
“The win over Gannon was amazing,” senior right-side hitter Cali Snell (York, PA/York Suburban) said.  “It definitely gave us confidence with our ability to perform, but every day is a new day and we have to go out and take every game now in the second half of the season.  It all starts with Friday.”
 
Snell is second on the team to fellow senior Cait Hess (Newark, DE/St. Mark's) in kills, with 180. Hess leads the way with 184.  Snell has had a fantastic season for the Golden Bears and is a major reason why KU is in a winning position late in the season.  She had a career-high 18 kills in the victory over Gannon.  Snell has also been an asset for KU on the defensive end.  She leads the team with 85 total blocks and entered the week ranked fourth in the PSAC in blocks per game (1.00). She is fifth in school history with 337 career blocks.
 
KU leads the PSAC and is second in Division II in blocks this season, averaging 2.68 per game.  Senior Katie Lutz (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle Antrim) has also been tremendous on the front line for KU.  She has 75 blocks this season including a team-high 57 solo blocks.  Her top performances this season were a pair of six-block efforts against Slippery Rock and Shippensburg.
 
Brittany Harman (Hanover, PA/South Western) has become one of KU's biggest offensive threats as of late. Harman had 35 kills in KU's four matches last week, earning her the PSAC East Athlete of the Week.  She also tallied 65 digs, averaging 3.82 per set, while hitting .213.  The junior recorded double-digit kills in games against Edinboro and Mercyhurst.  In the upset victory over Gannon, Harman recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 21 digs.  Harman has been vital to both the KU offense and defense. This year she has 120 kills, 20 blocks, and 231 digs. She recorded her third consecutive double-digit kill performance after the 3-1 victory over Mercyhurst.
 
Lindsey Smith (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) has had a career-best season in her senior campaign.  Smith is third in the conference and 16th in Division II with 442 digs this season (5.55/game).  She has accumulated 1,362 in her career and is fourth on the KU all-time list.  This season, she has helped KU rank atop the standings in the PSAC in digs per game (16.93).  Her energy, both on and off the court, has been the vital spark Kutztown has needed to succeed throughout the season.
 
Junior setters Dana Wright (Warminster, PA/Saint Basil Academy) and Kimberlee Gomber (Washington, PA/Washington) have remained consistent all season and have turned into quite the duo throughout their careers.  Gomber leads KU with 413 assists this season, followed by Wright with 327.  They have both chipped in on the defensive end as well.  Wright leads the pair with 165 digs this season and Gomber has tallied 126.
 
The Golden Bears have grown accustom to winning all season long after opening their season on a nine-game winning streak.  Understanding that there is always room to improve and building on both your successes and setbacks can give KU the greatest chance of matching that high level of play late in its season.

“The team started off having a hard time meshing, but as the season went on, I feel that everyone stepped up and really focused on having fun, which translated to winning,” Snell said.  “We are just taking it day-by-day, working to fix weaknesses in our game to come out and be ready to take on West Chester.”
 
WCU has won two straight matches and would love nothing more than to extend that streak.  The Golden Rams are led by Lexi Kegerise and Julie Boblits who have 259 and 229 kills, respectively.  Senior libero Lisa Campbell has a team-high 348 digs this season.
 
Following its home match against West Chester, Kutztown hits the road for five straight road bouts.  KU kicks off its trip on Friday, Oct. 21 for a PSAC East matchup against Millersville beginning at 7 p.m.