CAPE COD, Mass. – The Moravian College women's volleyball team has been awarded the second seed in the 2012 ECAC Division III South Championship Tournament, and will host seventh seed Penn State-Abington in a quarterfinal game on Wednesday, November 7th at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday's other quarterfinal matches have top seed Bethany College (28-8) hosting eighth seed Penn State-Behrend (19-9), third seed Swarthmore College (19-6) hosting sixth seed Delaware Valley College (17-9) and fourth seed Cabrini College (19-9) hosting fifth seed Lebanon Valley College (19-14). The four winning teams will head to the top remaining seed on Saturday, November 10th for the semifinals and finals. Visit - http://www.ecacsports.com/championships/2012-13_Fall_Championships/Volleyball/2012_VBall_CShip_Central - for more information.
The Greyhounds are 27-8, their third 20-win season in a row, and went 4-2 in Landmark Conference play. This is Moravian's seventh ECAC appearance in the last 12 years, and third straight. The Nittany Lions are 18-10 on the year.
Greyhounds' head coach Shelley Bauder has Moravian in the postseason for the 16th time in her 20 seasons at the helm. Bauder is one of four Greyhound coaches with over 400 wins making Moravian the only NCAA Division III school in the country with four active 400-win coaches. Moravian enters the match having won 29 of its last 31 home matches including 13 of 14 matches in Johnston Hall this season.
Senior libero Jesse Krasley (Allentown, Pa./Parkland HS) and junior setter Kelly Brown (Bethlehem, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic HS) have led Moravian this fall by playing in every set of every match thus far. Krasley has tallied 706 digs, 122 assists and 42 service aces while Brown has 1,221 assists, 421 digs, 82 kills, 29 aces and 29 blocks. Senior right-side hitter Samantha Savite (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris Central HS) has a team-high 386 kills to go with her 142 digs and 70 blocks.
Junior middle blocker Brittany O'Hara (Perkasie, Pa./Pennridge HS) has a team-best 87 blocks to go with her 128 kills while freshman defensive specialist Michelle Ciccone (Middletown, N.Y./Minisink Valley HS) leads the Hounds with 43 aces to go with her 51 digs. Freshman middle blocker Victoria Bobyak (Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall HS) has totaled 242 kills and 63 blocks while classmate outside hitter Lauren Hostetler (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley HS) has 274 kills and 245 digs.
Sophomore outside hitters Taylor Jennings (Cedar Run, N.J./Southern Regional HS) has 223 kills while Kelianne Comitalo (Philadelphia, Pa./St. Basil Academy) has 130 kills and 101 digs. Senior outside hitter JeanAnne Carey (Bucks County, Pa./Pennsbury HS) has tallied 155 digs, 38 aces and 35 kills while freshman defensive specialist Andrea Giardina (Effort, Pa./Pleasant Valley HS) has 89 digs. Junior right-side hitter Katelynn Strohl (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty HS) has 34 kills and 21 digs while freshman setter Megan Szkolnicki (Springfield, Pa./Country Day School of Sacred Heart) has put up 14 digs and ten assists this season.
Penn State-Abington is coached by Doug Blystone, who is in his first year with the program. The Nittany Lions were 6-5 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference regular season and fell to Penn State-Berks in the quarterfinals of the NEAC Tournament.
Freshman outside hitter Abby Milan leads Penn State-Abington with 336 kills, 296 digs, 82 service aces, 18 assists and eight blocks while senior outside hitter Johangelie Thomas has contributed 248 kills, 269 digs, 41 service aces, 13 blocks and ten assists. Sophomore middle blocker Kate Schalck has added 217 kills, 75 digs, 46 service aces, 38 blocks and seven assists while sophomore setter Leah Brown has 662 assists, 294 digs, 26 service aces and seven kills.
Senior setter/right side hitter Krysten Boyd has a team high 478 digs to go with 49 service aces, 41 assists and 16 kills while sophomore right side hitter Rachel Scornaienchi has contributed 44 digs, 42 kills, 27 blocks, 11 service aces and eight assists. Freshman setter Ann Cheshinski has added 99 digs, 22 service aces, 18 assists and nine kills.
