INDIANA, Pa. – IUP women's volleyball remains No. 2 in the Atlantic Region and sits No. 30 nationally in the latest NCAA Division II NPI rankings as the Crimson Hawks continue their push toward the postseason.
IUP owns an NPI rating of 61.007 with a 20-4 overall record. The Crimson Hawks trail only Gannon among Atlantic Region programs, with the Golden Knights sitting No. 26 nationally with a 61.436 NPI and an identical 20-4 record.
The Crimson Hawks dropped three spots from No. 27 nationally in the previous NPI rankings but maintained their position at No. 2 in the Atlantic Region following a pair of victories over Pitt-Johnstown and California (Pa.).
IUP opened the weekend with a four-set victory against Pitt-Johnstown, avenging its only conference loss of the season. The Crimson Hawks followed with a straight-set victory at California (Pa.) to extend their winning streak to five matches.
Junior right-side hitter Jess Neiman helped power the IUP offense during the two victories, totaling 32 kills while hitting .402 across seven sets. Neiman averaged 4.57 kills per set and committed just seven attacking errors on 62 swings.
Neiman opened the weekend with 17 kills and a .371 hitting percentage against Pitt-Johnstown before adding 15 kills on just 27 attacks while hitting .444 against California (Pa.).
Senior outside hitter Delaney Concannon also reached a major career milestone during the weekend, becoming the third player in IUP program history to record 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Concannon reached the 1,000-kill mark during the sweep of California (Pa.) after surpassing 1,000 career digs earlier this season.
IUP enters the final stretch of the regular season at 20-4 overall and 11-1 in PSAC play. The Crimson Hawks have won five consecutive matches and 14 of their last 15.
The NCAA Power Index, or NPI, is one of the primary metrics used in the selection and seeding process for the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship.
The top two teams in the Atlantic Region NPI rankings will meet Saturday when No. 2 IUP welcomes No. 1 Gannon to the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. The matchup will give the Crimson Hawks an opportunity to strengthen their postseason résumé against the only Atlantic Region program currently ahead of them in the NPI rankings.
