KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's volleyball was knocking on the door of the postseason in 2022, but fell just short of achieving that goal. KU, however, still had one of its best seasons in almost a decade and is motivated as ever to break down the door to postseason action in 2023.
 
Last season, the Golden Bears finished with their most wins in a regular season (13) since 2014, and just missed out on the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament, dropping a five-set thriller to Bloomsburg in the season finale. A victory would have put them into the eight-team playoff field and breaking an 11-year drought as they last appeared in the postseason in 2011.
 
KU went 13-12 overall and 7-7 in the PSAC, the most conference wins since 2014. League head coaches took notice of the success of last season, voting Kutztown fifth in the 2023 PSAC Preseason poll, the highest ranking since 2015.
 
Sadie Doss (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) returns after earning All-PSAC East First Team honors a season ago. Doss started in 24-of-25 matches played this season and appeared in all 97 sets. She ranked second in the PSAC in kills (371) and kills per set (3.82), second in points (433.5) and third in aces (53). Her 53 aces are fourth-best in a season in program history. Doss was also second on KU with 270 digs and added 30 assists.
 
Other returning starters include Grace Ingram (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) and Julia Post (Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge). Cat Farole (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) played in 20 matches last season and Anna Parmer (Firestone, Colo./Mead) appeared in seven.
 
In the East Division, East Stroudsburg was voted first in the preseason poll and is expected to be the class of the division. KU and ESU split two matches against each other last season with both teams winning five-set matches. Shepherd was voted second, followed by Shippensburg and West Chester.
 
Kutztown's season begins with a non-conference match at Caldwell on Thursday, Aug. 31, followed by two matches against Southern Connecticut State and Bridgeport in New Haven, Conn, the following day. The home opener is set for Tuesday, Sept. 5, against Chestnut Hill, at 7 p.m., at Keystone Arena.