INDIANA, Pa. – IUP women's volleyball seniors shined on Saturday as the Crimson Hawks defeated Seton Hill in four sets to clinch the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest Division regular season title.
Along with the division title, IUP clinched the top seed and home court advantage in next week's 2017 PSAC Championships. It's the first time in program history that IUP will head into the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed.
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The Crimson Hawks wrapped up their regular season with a 24-8 overall record along with a 15-3 record in PSAC play. Gannon tied IUP in the league standings, but the Crimson Hawks earned the tiebreaker with more FIVB points earned.
Seniors led the way for IUP on Saturday with a slew of impressive performances in the 25-18, 25-27, 25-19, 25-19 victory. Setter
Katie Miller (Fort Wayne, Ind./Homestead) posted 51 assists, had a career-high six service aces, and added 10 digs and five kills. The 51 assists are the second most in a four-set match for her this season. She finished with 12.0 points in the win, setting a new career-high.
Outside hitters
Natalie Cignetti (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) and
Alexis Anderson (Cleveland, Ohio/Mayfield) took advantage of Miller's distribution, combining for 28 kills. Middles
Gabby Egler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Barack Obama Academy) and
Elora Pittman (Jackson, Mich./Michigan Center) hit a combined .500 with 15 kills and seven block assists, and Ellie Burns finished with 11 digs and four assists.
Prior to the match, those six seniors were honored during a Senior Day presentation.
Up next
IUP will host eight seed Edinboro on Tuesday night in the PSAC quarterfinals. Match time is set for 7 p.m. If the Crimson Hawks win, they will host the PSAC semifinals and championship match on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 17-18.
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPVB.
