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ERIE, Pa. – For the first time since 1987, the East Stroudsburg University women's volleyball team can call themselves PSAC Champions as the Warriors outlasted Shepherd on Saturday in the title match, 3-2 (25-22, 16-25, 25-23, 22-25, 15-8) on the campus of Gannon University.
 
ESU (29-6) pushed its winning streak to seven matches and secured its first appearance in the NCAA DII Women's Volleyball Championship since 2000. The title is the fifth PSAC Championship in program history for the Warriors, who won it three consecutive years (1985-87). 
 
The Warriors are one of 23 teams that receive an automatic bid to the NCAA DII tournament. The selection show for the complete 64-team field will be held on Monday, November 25 at 7:30 p.m. on www.ncaa.com. Each of the eight regional tournaments will begin competition on the weekend of December 5-8. Each of the regional winners will then head to Colorado to crown the 2019 DII national champion.
 
Senior Sarah Smith tallied a team-high 16 kills in the match for ESU to go along with 17 digs and seven blocks. Senior Sam Dunphy added 10 kills, five blocks, and three service aces for the Warriors, while redshirt junior Trea-sure Ketter notched nine kills and 10 blocks. Freshman Rachel Cain tallied a double-double for the Warriors with a match-high 44 assists and 19 digs.
 
The Warriors had to battle back from a pair of early deficits in the first set against the Rams as Shepherd opened on a 6-1 run. ESU rallied to trim the deficit to 6-5 as sophomore Emily Meredith capped the run with a service ace.
 
A 4-0 run later in the set would give ESU a 12-11 advantage as Smith delivered a kill for the Warriors off an assist from Dunphy. Shepherd would knot the score 20-20 in the set following a 3-0 rally before ESU countered with a 2-0 spurt to retake the lead. A kill from Smith followed by an ace from freshman Erin Lutz gave the Warriors a 24-21 lead in the set. An attacking error by the Rams secured the 25-22 victory for the Warriors.
 
Shepherd used a 9-0 run to take control of the second set as consecutive kills from Peyton Lindblad and Elyssia Smith gave the Rams a 20-11 advantage over the Warriors. ESU looked to put together a pair of late rallies in the set but would be unable to keep the Rams from securing the 25-16 victory to knot the match 1-1.
 
ESU trailed 17-9 in the third set following a 7-0 rally by the Rams as Shepherd increased its advantage to 19-10 before the Warriors started their comeback. A block by Smith and Ketter started an 8-0 run by the Warriors to trim the deficit to 19-18. The run featured four blocks by the Warriors.
 
A block by senior Jasmine Williams and Dunphy would give ESU a 22-21 lead in the set before the Rams knotted the score 23-23. A kill by Dunphy followed by an attacking error from the Rams secured the 25-23 victory for the Warriors.
 
Shepherd would send the match to a decisive fifth set after recording a 25-22 victory in the fourth set. The Rams looked poised early in the set to keep momentum on their side as they took a 4-3 advantage. ESU responded with a 4-0 run to take a 7-4 lead in the set following a pair of bad sets by Shepherd.
 
Leading 10-7, the Warriors used a 4-0 rally that included consecutive aces from Dunphy to take a 14-7 advantage. Williams secured the set, match, and championship for the Warriors with a kill to give ESU the 15-8 victory.