EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University volleyball team will host Clarion on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. inside Koehler Fieldhouse for a PSAC Semifinal matchup.
The conference semifinals and championship game will be hosted by ESU on Friday and Saturday as the Warriors were the highest remaining seed from the East in the tournament.
The other semifinal match features Gannon and Shepherd, with first-serve schedule for 5 p.m. tomorrow. The winners of each match will move on to title game on Saturday at 4 p.m.
ESU (18-9) advanced to its second straight PSAC semifinal by extending their win-streak to 10 after defeating Bloomsburg, 3-2, on Tuesday night.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
- The reigning PSAC Champions advanced to the semifinals by winning their 10th consecutive match in a five-set thriller over Bloomsburg on Tuesday
- On Thursday, Ali Finch was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Year, and first-year head coach Tricia Melfy was honored as the PSAC East Coach of the Year
- Seniors Emily Meredith and Kenzie Guimont were both selected to the All-PSAC East Second Team
- The Warriors are second in the PSAC in digs per set (19.13) and 10th among Division II programs
- ESU is led by three-time PSAC Athlete of the Week Ali Finch. Finch has a team-high 197 kills, 799 assists, five triple doubles and is second on the team in digs (314) and blocks (81.0). The senior’s five triple doubles ranks fifth nationally and among PSAC ranks, Finch is 10th in assists per set and total assists.
- Senior Emily Meredith paces ESU with 510 digs on the season and the 1,659 in her career are the third most in program history. Meredith is sixth in PSAC in total digs and digs per set (5.10)
- Senior Kenzie Guimont leads ESU with 86 blocks and is third on the team in kills (174)
- Kaylee LoPresto is second on the team in kills (179) and third in digs (221)
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
- Clarion finished the regular season 19-9 overall and 11-5 in the PSAC West
- The Golden Eagles advanced to the semifinals after sweeping Edinboro on Tuesday
- Cassidy Snider was named the PSAC West Rookie of the Year and to the All-PSAC West First Team
- London Fuller also earned All-PSAC West First Team honors and Julia Piccolino landed on the All-PSAC West Second Team
- Three-time PSAC West Coach of the Year, Jennifer Herron, is in her 15th season as the head coach
SERIES HISTORY
The Warriors and Golden Eagles will meet for the 37th time in the program’s history on Friday with Clarion holding the advantage in the all-time series, 13-22-1.
When the team’s last meet during the 2019 regular season, ESU pulled out a 3-2 victory on the road. Friday’s match will be the sixth meeting between the teams in the PSAC Tournament and the first time since 2004, which saw the Warriors record a sweep.
