LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – IUP women's volleyball senior
Lauren Valentic was named the 2023 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Defensive Athlete of the Year, joining
Nyla Birch as a first team selection as the league announced its postseason awards on Thursday.
Valentic is a repeat first team honoree following her debut season at IUP in 2022, while Birch earns all-conference honors in the PSAC during her first season with the Crimson Hawks.
Valentic becomes the first IUP player to win the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year honor since the award was instituted in 2011. Valentic is the 10th major award winner in program history and first for the Crimson Hawks since 2017 (Natalie Cignetti, Scott Pennewill).
Elsewhere around the division, Clarion's Cassidy Snider won the league's Athlete of the Year award in the West with Seton Hill's Katie Flohr earning Freshman of the Year honors. Justin Haupt (Pitt-Johnstown) earned PSAC West Coach of the Year honors with Mike Kraft (Lock Haven) winning the award in the PSAC East.
Valentic and Birch have been key contributors in yet another outstanding season for IUP under second-year head coach
Lorelle Hoyer. The Hawks went 21-9 in the regular season, winning at least 10 conference matches in consecutive years for just the second time in program history.
Valentic was named an all-conference and all-region selection a year ago, continuing her progression into a top-caliber student-athlete in 2023. Valentic has played and started in all 31 matches this season for IUP, leading NCAA DII in total blocks (162) at the time of release while ranking first in the PSAC and third nationally in blocks/set (1.41).
The Cannonsburg, Pa. native has added 167 kills (1.45 k/s) on the season in the middle. She elevated to second on the IUP single-season blocks list (159.0) with her 2023 output, while her 266 career blocks rank ninth in program history over just two seasons.
Birch provides an all-around level of excellence for IUP with a team-high 310 kills (2.65 k/s), 68 digs and 102.0 total blocks. It marks her second consecutive first team all-league honor, named an All-MEC First team selection at Fairmont State in 2022.
Birch is fifth in the PSAC in total blocks, one of three IUP players among the top five in the conference. The South Charleston, W.Va. native notched a season-high 19 kills in a five-set matchup with Clarion on September 29.
Together, the duo helped IUP become the nation's leader in total team blocks (317.0) and rank fourth in NCAA DII in blocks/set (2.69).
IUP was ranked third in the final numerical listing of the NCAA DII Atlantic Region Rankings released this week. The Hawks await a potential bid into the NCAA DII Atlantic Region Tournament with the Selection Show held on November 20 at 7:30 p.m.
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