INDIANA, Pa. – The IUP women's volleyball team saw its six-match winning streak come to an end Saturday evening, falling to Gannon in four sets at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in a matchup between two of the top teams in the Atlantic Region.
The Crimson Hawks (21-5, 12-2 PSAC) claimed a tightly contested opening set, 27-25, before the Golden Knights (21-5, 11-3 PSAC) responded with victories of 25-13, 25-15 and 29-27 to secure the match.
IUP entered the contest ranked second in the Atlantic Region's NCAA Power Index rankings, with Gannon holding the top spot. The Crimson Hawks had previously swept the Golden Knights in Erie on Oct. 10.
Charlotte Potvin led the IUP offense with 12 kills on 27 attempts, hitting .296 while adding four block assists and a service ace. Senior Delaney Concannon and Sammy Stephens each recorded 11 kills, while Concannon added a match-high 21 digs.
Ellie Rauch directed the Crimson Hawks' offense with 29 assists and contributed 11 digs, while Maddie Zechman added 10 assists. Lexi McLanahan finished with 10 digs, and Brooke Kessler contributed nine.
IUP battled through a competitive opening set, recording 17 kills while holding Gannon to a .149 hitting percentage. The Crimson Hawks prevailed, 27-25, to take an early advantage.
The Golden Knights responded with a strong offensive performance in the second set, hitting .360 while limiting IUP to seven kills and a negative hitting percentage. Gannon cruised to a 25-13 victory to even the match.
Gannon continued its momentum in the third set, recording 13 kills with just one attacking error for a .316 hitting percentage. IUP managed 10 kills in the frame but fell, 25-15, as the Golden Knights moved ahead two sets to one.
The fourth set featured another closely contested battle, with IUP registering 17 kills and 17 digs while attempting to force a decisive fifth set. The Crimson Hawks pushed the frame beyond regulation before Gannon secured a 29-27 victory to complete the four-set win.
IUP finished with 51 kills and a .082 hitting percentage, while Gannon recorded 53 kills and hit .228. The Crimson Hawks held a 78-74 advantage in digs, but the Golden Knights controlled the net with 12 team blocks compared to six for IUP.
Abbey Williams led Gannon with 14 kills and 17 digs, while Carlee Webber added 11 kills and six blocks. Nehir Yazicioglu and Sydney Wake contributed 10 kills apiece.
Despite the setback, the Crimson Hawks concluded the regular season with 21 victories and a 12-2 conference record, positioning themselves for postseason competition in the PSAC Tournament.
