Kutztown University Athletics

MERTZTOWN, Pa. – Kutztown women's volleyball continues to roll early on in the 2026 regular season, taking both of its matches Sunday afternoon in the annual Shannon Sullivan Memorial tri-match, played at Brandywine Heights Area High School.
 
The Golden Bears (11-1 overall) defeated both Chestnut Hill and Caldwell out of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference in straight sets, first taking care of the Griffins by scores of 25-16, 25-19, 25-22, and then beating the Cougars 25-16, 25-15, 25-16.
 
Kutztown has now won eight consecutive matches and is off to its best start to a season since 2006 when the Maroon and Gold started 12-0 and then 13-1. The eight wins in-a-row is also the longest since 2010 when the Golden Bears won nine straight to begin that campaign.
 
KU had little trouble Sunday, going unbeaten in its tri-match, and head coach Jason Barshinger was able to find playing time for all healthy and available student-athletes on the day, with 20 Golden Bears getting into the Caldwell match to conclude the day.
 
This past week's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Eastern Division Athlete of the Week, senior outside hitter Paige Skinner (Placerville, Calif./Ponderosa), led the attack with 26 combined kills and also had 15 digs and four assists. She had a double-double in the opener with Chestnut Hill, finishing with 14 kills and 11 digs. Madilyn Bogovic (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) recorded 16 kills and six digs. Grace White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) tallied 13 kills and four blocks. Jaedyn Bartholomew (Schuylkill Haven, Pa./Blue Mountain) had nine kills, five digs and four blocks and Ellie White (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) notched eight kills and five blocks. Emma Baldridge (Damascus, Md./Damascus) finished with 35 assists and 14 digs and Abby Polo (Coventry, Conn./Coventry) contributed 31 assists and six digs. Saige Thibodeaux (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker) added 26 digs and nine assists and Julia Riley (Secane, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) had nine digs.
 
There were also a couple of firsts on the season as both freshmen Maren Kupris (Saddle Brook, N.J./Saddle Brook) and Emily Staszewski (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) recorded their first collegiate kills. Sophomore Alex Haskins (State College, Pa./State College) also made her season debut after missing the first 11 matches due to injury and ended with two kills.
 
Kutztown will next open up play in the PSAC East Division as it will travel to take on East Stroudsburg on Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m., and then will play at Bloomsburg the following day at 1 p.m.

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