ERIE, Pa. – The IUP women's volleyball program dominated Shepherd in the NCAA Atlantic Region Quarterfinals to advance this afternoon, pulling away with a three set sweep. Set scores were 25-16, 25-21, and 25-22.
 
IUP is the No.2 seed in this NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament and Shepherd was ranked as the No.7 seed. With this win, the Hawks matchup against No.3 Wheeling who just swept Pitt-Johnstown tomorrow, December 6 at 4:00 p.m.
 
Three players contributed double-digit points in this afternoon's match. Delaney Concannon led with 12.5 points, adding 10 kills, four assists, two service aces, and a block. Lauren Valentic and Jessica Neiman each recorded 10.5 points. Valentic tallied seven kills, hit .267, contributed a service ace, and posted five blocks, while Neiman added six kills, hit .353, delivered a team-high four service aces, and notched a block. Nyla Birch rounded out the top scorers with eight kills and a block.
 
The match began with a quick block by Valentic and Olivia Heidel to give the Hawks the first point. The teams traded points early until Shepherd tied the score at 9-9. IUP then gained momentum with an 8-2 run, including three points from Concannon.

Despite three points from IUP errors, the Hawks pulled away with a decisive seven-point run to build a 10-point lead. Heidel sealed the first set with a kill to the middle, closing it out 25-15.
 
Shepherd responded strongly in the second set, jumping to a 10-3 lead. However, IUP rallied back, narrowing the gap to 14-7 with Valentic contributing three kills.

A crucial block from Heidel tied the score at 15-15, and Valentic followed with a kill to give the Hawks the lead. A late 8-4 run by IUP, capped by two kills from Birch, secured the set 25-21.
 
The third set saw a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging points. A serve out of bounds positioned IUP at 10-7.

Neiman delivered a powerful shot to the back row, pushing the Hawks ahead 14-13. Trailing 18-17, IUP surged with a 6-1 run, highlighted by four kills, two of which came from Concannon.

In the final stretch, back-to-back kills by Concannon to the back middle gave the Hawks a 22-19 advantage. Shepherd's brief rally fell short as IUP clinched the set 25-22 on an attack error, sealing the match.
 
Up Next
IUP will face Wheeling in the NCAA Atlantic Region Semifinals tomorrow, December 6 at 4:00 p.m. in the Hagerty Family Events Center in Erie, Pa. 
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP women's volleyball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawks and @IUPVB.