STORYLINE
The Bloomsburg University women's volleyball team returns home as the Huskies host a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Southwest opponents this weekend. The Huskies will play Pitt-Johnstown on Friday night and then IUP on Saturday afternoon. Following a sweep at Lock Haven on Tuesday, the Huskies improved their overall record to 7-13 and they currently sit in second place in the PSAC Central with a 2-6 league mark. Pitt-Johnstown enters Friday's contest with an overall record of 8-8 while IUP is currently 3-13 on the season and will play at Lock Haven on Friday night before its match against the Huskies.
NEW LOOK
With the addition of Shepherd to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), the sport of volleyball restructured its divisions. The Central Division will consist of East Stroudsburg, Kutztown, Bloomsburg, and Lock Haven while the Northwest Division features five teams - Gannon, Clarion, Edinboro, Mercyhurst, and Slippery Rock. The Southwest Division boasts Seton Hill, Pitt-Johnstown, Cal U, and IUP, and the Southeast Division will consist of Shippensburg, Shepherd, Millersville, and West Chester. The four division winners will earn an automatic bid to the PSAC Volleyball Championship while the next four best records will earn at-large spots.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Pitt-Johnstown leads the all-time series against Bloomsburg 2-0 while IUP leads the series with the Huskies, 1-0. All three matches came during the Huskies' inaugural year last season.
SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG
Bloomsburg improved to 7-13 overall after a sweep at Lock Haven on Tuesday night. SophomoreÂ
Mary Kate Mooney (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) led the Huskies with 11 kills and is currently tied for the team lead, with sophomore
Grace Giza (Plymouth, Pa./Wyoming Valley West), in that category with 177 on the season. Sophomore
Sydney Buell (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) is also over the century mark in kills this season with 115. JuniorÂ
Alyssa Cianciulli (Royersford, Pa./Pope John Paul II) maintains the top spot in the country in total digs (500) and digs per set (6.67) on the season. As a team, the Huskies are ninth in the PSAC in digs per set (16.52) and seventh in blocks, averaging 1.86 blocks per set. At the net, freshman
Julia Burcin (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty) is tops on the team with 57 total blocks while Giza is right behind with 54. SophomoreÂ
Bryn Stek (Ambler, Pa./Upper Dublin), freshman
Brooke Kratzer (Allentown, Pa./Parkland), and Buell have split time at the setter position this season. Stek leads the Huskies with 276 assists while Kratzer has totaled 236. Buell has recently jumped into the mix at setter and has all 49 of her assists over the last four matches. Stek also leads the team with 26 service aces this year.
SCOUTING PITT-JOHNSTOWN
Pitt-Johnstown is currently 8-8 overall and 1-6 in the PSAC Southwest Division. The Mountain Cats rank 12th in hitting percentage (.183) and 11th in kills per set (11.41). Leading Pitt-Johnstown's attack is Caitlin Vrabel with 168 kills and a .311 hitting percentage. She ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage. J.C. Longeville leads Pitt-Johnstown in assists with 614 which has her seventh in the league in assists per set (9.59). Erin Carmody leads the team with 338 digs, placing her fifth in the conference in digs per set (5.28). Anna Johns is tops with 57 total blocks and ranks tenth in the league by averaging 0.97 blocks per set.
SCOUTING IUP
The Crimson Hawks, who play Lock Haven on Friday night, enter the weekend with a 3-13 overall record and a 2-5 mark in the PSAC Southwest. IUP ranks eighth in the conference in blocks, averaging 1.82 per set, but ranks near the bottom of the league in most hitting categories. Nicole Peterson leads the team 186 kills on the season, placing her 11th in the league in kills per set (3.10). Four Crimson Hawks have reached at least 100 digs on the year with Liv Burns leading the way with 164. Leah Henderson and Dominica Niccolai have split time at setter with Henderson leading the way with 319 assists while Niccolai has 211. Jasmine Raudys leads IUP with 40 total blocks on the season.
UP NEXT
The Huskies remain home next week as they host Susquehanna University on Wednesday, October 23, for a non-conference showdown. The River Hawks are currently 21-3 on the year. The match will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Nelson Field House.
