INDIANA, Pa. – After capturing the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division regular-season championship and advancing through the opening round of postseason play, the IUP women's volleyball team will look to take another step toward a conference title Saturday afternoon when it hosts Clarion in the PSAC Tournament semifinals at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (KCAC).
The Crimson Hawks (22-5, 12-2 PSAC) enter the weekend as the No. 1 seed in the Western Division and will face the third-seeded Golden Eagles (20-8, 10-4 PSAC) in the second semifinal match of the day, scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Saturday's opening semifinal will feature No. 2 seed Gannon (22-5, 11-3 PSAC) against No. 5 seed Seton Hill (15-11, 6-8 PSAC) at 1 p.m. The winners will advance to Sunday's PSAC championship match, scheduled for 1 p.m. at the KCAC.
All four remaining teams represent the PSAC Western Division, marking a complete sweep of the conference's quarterfinal matchups against Eastern Division opponents.
IUP enters the semifinals following an impressive straight-set victory over East Stroudsburg on Wednesday evening at Memorial Field House. The Crimson Hawks defeated the Warriors by scores of 25-12, 25-16 and 26-24, producing one of their most efficient offensive performances of the season.
The Crimson Hawks finished the match with a .384 hitting percentage, recording 44 kills against just 11 attacking errors while limiting East Stroudsburg to a .076 hitting percentage.
Senior outside hitter Delaney Concannon led the offensive attack with 17 kills, while Sammy Stephens added 14 kills on a .478 hitting percentage. Senior Mikalah Kim controlled the net defensively, recording eight total blocks, and setter Ellie Rauch distributed 31 assists.
The victory continued a memorable season for IUP under head coach Avery Moore, who was named the 2026 PSAC West Coach of the Year after guiding the Crimson Hawks to the division's regular-season championship.
Moore, in her first season at IUP, has helped establish the Crimson Hawks as one of the top programs in the Atlantic Region. IUP entered the conference tournament ranked No. 3 in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region National Power Index (NPI) rankings.
The Crimson Hawks also received three All-PSAC West selections earlier this week, with Concannon and junior right-side hitter Jessica Neiman earning first-team honors and junior middle blocker Charlotte Potvin receiving second-team recognition.
Concannon has been one of IUP's most consistent contributors throughout the season, leading the team with 293 kills during the regular season while adding 328 digs. The senior also became just the third player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills and 1,000 digs.
Neiman has provided another reliable offensive option, recording 283 regular-season kills while averaging 3.11 kills per set. Potvin has been a steady presence in the middle, posting a .339 hitting percentage and leading the Crimson Hawks with 88 total blocks during the regular season.
IUP's balanced offensive attack, combined with its defensive presence at the net, will be tested against a Clarion team that has established itself as one of the nation's top blocking programs.
The Golden Eagles advanced to the semifinals following a five-set victory over Lock Haven in Wednesday's quarterfinals, winning the decisive fifth set, 16-14, to secure their place among the conference's final four teams.
Clarion has relied heavily on its defensive presence at the net this season, entering the postseason ranked second nationally in blocks per set at 2.74.
Freshman Cara Vandeborne has been a major contributor to that success, leading the PSAC with 1.38 blocks per set and earning conference Freshman of the Year honors.
Finley Kearney and Emily Klopp have also played important roles in Clarion's blocking efforts, giving the Golden Eagles three of the conference's top seven players in blocks per set entering the postseason.
Offensively, Clarion has been led by Raegan Stader and Taylor Haupt, who entered the conference tournament averaging 2.77 and 2.75 kills per set, respectively. Kearney has also been one of the Golden Eagles' most efficient attackers, posting a .302 hitting percentage.
The matchup will present an intriguing contrast between IUP's balanced offensive production and Clarion's ability to disrupt opposing attacks at the net.
With both teams familiar with one another through PSAC West competition, Saturday's semifinal will provide another opportunity for the Crimson Hawks to demonstrate the consistency that helped them secure the division's top seed.
The conference tournament also carries significant implications for the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region postseason picture, with the PSAC champion earning an automatic berth into the regional tournament.
For IUP, the opportunity to compete for a conference championship on its home court adds another layer of significance to an already successful season.
Up Next: IUP will face Clarion on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the second PSAC semifinal at the KCAC. The winner will advance to Sunday's championship match at 1 p.m. against the winner of Gannon and Seton Hill.
