Gannon Volleyball Heads to Atlantic Regional at California (Pa.) this Weekend

Gannon Volleyball Heads to Atlantic Regional at California (Pa.) this Weekend

Coach Matt Darling has led the Knights to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 14 years.

Brian Vail, Graduate Assistant Sports Information

11/18/2009 9:52:50 AM

ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon volleyball team travels to California (Pa.) for NCAA Tournament action. The Lady Knights take on Wheeling Jesuit Thursday. The match is set for a 5 p.m. start at Hamer Hall.

90.5 WERG-FM will broadcast the contest live on the radio. The Internet broadcast can be found at http://www.gannon.edu/athletics/werg/knightsound.html.

The Lady Knights finished the regular season fourth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division, going 13-6 in conference play. GU went 22-9 overall, its best mark since 1995. GU qualified for its first NCAA Tournament appearance since that same season.

Wheeling Jesuit won the regular season and tournament championships in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC). The Cardinals come into the tournament on a 25-match win streak, having gone 35-5 overall in 2009. WJU features consecutive conference players of the year in Catie Halberstadt and Keysha Allison. Allissa Ware was also named WVIAC freshman of the year this season.

Gannon beat Wheeling in five sets September 12 at the PSAC-WVIAC Crossover in Erie. WJU took the first set before GU won the next two. After the Cardinals tied the match, the Knights won 15-6 in the decisive fifth frame.

GU leads the all-time series 4-3, but Wheeling won a five-set match at home over the Knights in the 2008 season. Knight outside hitter Lauren Sazama (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville) has 76 aces, most of any player in the conference. Kara Cullen (Marstons Mills, Mass./Barnstable) averaged a league-high 1.16 blocks a set. Wheeling hit a WVIAC-high .260 as team and contained opponents to a .125 hitting percentage, best in the conference.

The winner of the WJU-Gannon contest advances to the regional semifinals Friday to face the winner of the Chowan (NC)-Cal match. California is the host and top seed in the Atlantic. The Vulcans have won the region each of the past two seasons before falling in the fourth round both times.

On the other side of the bracket, Clarion takes on Edinboro and Lock Haven meets Mercyhurst in first-round action.

Jan

February 2012

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Sun, Feb. 05, 2012

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Athletes of the Week

Katie Joseph

Women's Swimming and Diving

Joseph was a five-time winner at last weekend’s Indiana (Pa.) Invitational, helping the Gannon women’s swim team split a pair of dual match-ups against IUP and Bloomsburg. The true freshman won the 100-yard freestyle (54.04) for the seventh time in eight attempts, posting a PSAC-qualifying time every time. She won the 200-yard freestyle (1:58.47) for the fourth time this season while producing her seventh conference-qualifying time during the event in eight attempts. Joseph also finished third in the 200 IM (2:17.48) during her first attempt of the year. The McDonald, Ohio, native was part of three relay teams that won titles. Her 200-yard freestyle relay team captured its sixth title in as many attempts, her 400-yard freestyle relay team won its sixth title in eight tries and her 800-yard freestyle relay team captured its third title in as many attempts. Joseph has won 15 individual titles and been part of 18 relay titles this season. She has produced 23 PSAC-qualifying times and four NCAA “B” cut times this season.

Nick Wolhaupter

Men's Swimming and Diving

Wolhaupter was a quadruple-winner at last weekend’s Indiana (Pa.) Invitational, helping the Gannon men’s swim team split a pair of dual match-ups against IUP and Bloomsburg. The true freshman won the 50-yard freestyle (22.03) for the third time in six attempts, producing a PSAC-qualifying time for the fifth time. He won the 100-yard freestyle (48.53) for the fifth time in seven attempts, recording a conference-qualifying time five times. Wolhaupter then finished third in the 100-yard butterfly while producing his fifth PSAC-qualifying time during that event in six attempts. The Watertown, Wis., native was part of two relay teams that won titles. His 200-yard freestyle relay team won its third title in eight attempts and his 400-yard medley relay team captured its first championship in three tries. Wolhaupter helped his 400-yard freestyle and 800-yard freestyle relay teams finish second. He has won 12 individual titles and been part of nine relay titles this season. Wolhaupter has produced 23 PSAC-qualifying times this season.

Which Gannon student-athlete's performance was most impressive during the week of January 23-29?

Kelley Sundberg (WB) - Recorded 10 points, eight assists and five steals during a victory against Slippery Rock.
Darrell Blanton (MB) - Recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 25 points and a season-high 15 rebounds against Slippery Rock.
Adam Blazek (MB) - Scored a season-high 23 points and added six rebounds against Slippery Rock.
Adam Weinell (WRES) - Defeated Kody Young of Mercyhurst, who was ranked fifth in the region, via a takedown for 7-5 overtime decision.
Ethan Swope (WRES) - Recorded an 11-3 major decision against rival Mercyhurst as the region's top-ranked wrestler.
Katie Joseph (WS) - Was a five-time winner at the IUP Invitational, winning two individual events and being part of three relay titles.
Nick Wolhaupter (MS) - Was a quadruple-winner at the IUP Invitational, winning two individual events and was part of two relay titles.
Matt Turek (WRES) - Defeated Desmond Moore of Kutztown, who was ranked fifth in the region, by an 8-3 score.

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