ERIE, Pa. – The IUP women's volleyball team claimed a thrilling 3-1 victory over Gannon on Saturday night to secure the 2024 PSAC Championship title.

This marks the Crimson Hawks' second PSAC title in program history and their first since 2002, as they dethroned the No. 1 seed and host Gannon, who had won the championship in the previous two seasons. With this win, the IUP Crimson Hawks get an automatic bid into the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament. 

Nyla Birch earned Most Valuable Player honors after an exceptional performance, delivering 16 kills with a .560 hitting percentage, along with two blocks, contributing a team-high 17 points.

Delaney Concannon followed closely with 13 kills, while Jessica Neiman added 11 kills, a .346 hitting percentage, and two blocks. Lauren Valentic was also instrumental, recording four blocks, four service aces, and seven kills.
 
IUP displayed dominance with a .353 hitting percentage in the third set and .258 in the fourth. The Hawks outpaced Gannon with 53 kills and eight aces compared to the Golden Knights' 45 kills and two aces.
 
The match opened with Concannon delivering the first point for IUP. Birch followed with two kills, and Karlie Edwards contributed two service aces to give the Hawks an early 7-3 lead. After a block by Rylee Brown and Olivia Heidel, and an ace by Valentic, the Hawks extended their lead to six points. 
 
Gannon countered with a five-point run, closing the gap to 7-6. IUP responded with a seven-point surge, but Gannon fought back to tie the set at 21-21. 
 
Neiman's two key kills pushed IUP to set point, and a Gannon attack error secured the 25-23 win for the Hawks.
 
In the second set, Gannon jumped to a 5-1 lead before IUP tied the score at 7-7 with kills from Valentic, Neiman, and Birch. Gannon regained momentum with a five-point run and eventually took the set 25-17 to even the match.
 
The Hawks dominated the third set, starting with a block by Valentic. Neiman's attack sparked a nine-point IUP run, limiting Gannon to just two points during that stretch. With a commanding 19-9 lead, Valentic's decisive point secured the set 25-14 for IUP.
 
Gannon began the fourth set strong, building an early four-point lead, but IUP responded with six consecutive points, including two kills from Brown. The Hawks then surged to a 17-7 lead, fueled by efficient teamwork and crucial runs. 
 
Gannon attempted a late rally, but Concannon delivered two powerful kills to seal the match, crowning IUP as the 2024 PSAC champions.

Up Next
IUP automatically receives a bid into the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament with this title. The selection show takes place Monday, November 25 at 7:30 p.m. where the Hawks await to see who their opponents will be.

Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawks and @IUPVB.