KUTZTOWN, Pa. (November 7, 2011) – For the third consecutive season, the Kutztown University women's volleyball team will host a playoff game as it goes up against West Chester University in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) quarterfinal match on Tuesday, Nov. 8 beginning at 7 p.m. at Keystone Arena.
 
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 (24-8 overall) enter the PSAC quarterfinals as the No. 2 seed while the Golden Rams (21-13) are the No. 3 seed.  Kutztown holds the edge over WCU, having won three of its last four contests including both this season.  KU won both matches in straight-sets.
 
Kutztown enters the match ranked eighth in the Atlantic Region and with some momentum on its side.  It has won seven of its last eight conference matches, and its 13 PSAC East victories this season are a KU school-record.  KU's 24 wins this season is the most since 2007 when it won a school-record 28.  Hosting an opening round match should also play in favor of the Golden Bears, who hold a 12-2 record on its home floor this season.
 
Much of this season's success has been dictated by the play of its five seniors.  This year's senior class has brought a great level of talent of both the offensive and defensive end.  Erin Kissling (York, PA/Central York), Cait Hess (Newark, DE/St. Mark's), Cali Snell (York, PA/York Suburban), Katie Lutz (Greencastle, PA/Greencastle Antrim) and Lindsey Smith (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic) have each stepped up at different points throughout the season and will surely leave their mark on the KU program.
 
Kissling is having a career senior season for the Golden Bears.  She leads KU in kills (257) and is second in digs (332).  Both are career-highs.  Kissling has had double-digit kills in four of her last seven matches including a career-high 19 in KU's victory over Shippensburg on Oct. 22.  She and also has 30 total blocks.
 
Hess and Snell also have over 200 kills this season with 245 and 239, respectively.  Snell has totaled 752 kills in her career and is tenth all-time in KU history.  She is eight behind ninth-place Jessie Didier.  Snell is second on the team in total blocks (110) and is fifth in KU history with 362 in her career.
 
Defensively, Lutz leads KU in blocking this season with 119 total blocks.  She is third in the PSAC, averaging 1.13 per set. 
 
Smith is continuing to move her way up the KU all-time list in career digs.  She has 611 this season and 1,531 in her career.  Smith is third all-time in KU history and is 21 behind Jamie Celia (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) for second-place.
 
KU setters Kimberlee Gomber (Washington, PA/Washington) and Dana Wright (Warminster, PA/Saint Basil Academy) have run the offense for KU.  Gomber leads the Golden Bears with 580 assists and Wright has contributed 440 helpers.
 
Brittany Harman (Hanover, PA/South Western) has proved to be a great all-around player in her junior season.  She has an explosive step on the offensive end and is able to hunt down opposing attacks to give KU as many scoring opportunities as possible.  She is fourth on the team with 190 kills and has also tallied 327 digs, good for third on KU.
 
Meanwhile, West Chester will be competing in the PSAC tournament for the seventh straight year under head coach Kassie Bellaver. Bellaver has led WCU to five consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins.
 
Golden Ram junior Lexi Kegerise leads WCU with 347 kills. She has 68 digs and 33 total blocks. Julie Boblits (298) and Kelly Martin (222) have each played significant roles in the offense this season, tallying over 200 kills apiece.  Senior setter Helen Fitzpatrick leads the team with 747 assists, with fellow senior Lisa Campbell racking up 454 digs in her 31 matches.
 
The winner of this match will meet the winner of the Gannon-California contest Friday night at the home of the highest remaining seeded team in the East. Lock Haven won the PSAC East regular season title. The other quarterfinal matches are Shippensburg at Lock Haven; Gannon at California and Clarion at Edinboro.