EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University volleyball team (20-7) swept Shippensburg (17-13) (25-14, 25-21, 25-15) to advance to the PSAC semifinals for the fourth straight season under coach Tricia Melfy.
After falling to the Raiders twice in the regular season, including a sweep last month, the Warriors returned the favor with a dominant three-set victory.
Notables:
- Anna Coulter and Allison Birtcil combined for 21 kills. Coulter hit .550 and dominated at the net with four solo blocks and four block assists. Birtcil was also active at the net, with three block assists, a solo block, and tailed four digs.
- Taylor Haan had 32 assists,16 digs and four aces.
- Leonor Chambel, for the second straight match, had 20 digs in a three-set match. She is the only PSAC individual to accomplish the feat this season and the only one to have multiple 20-dig, three-set matches against PSAC opponents.
How It Happened:
- S1 (25-14): The Warriors won this set on the back of two strong runs. First, a 7-0 run put them up 13-4. Then, when the Raiders responded with a 6-0 run of their own, ESU came storming back with an 8-1 run to make the score 21-12 and put the set out of reach.
- S2 (25-19): By far the closest set, which saw 14 tied scores and six lead changes. In the set, there was only one run of more than two consecutive points, when the Warriors scored five in a row. It started and ended with kills by Coulter, assisted by Haan.
- S3 (25-15): Early on, the set was close with SU leading 5-4, but ESU's 6-0 run gave them an 11-5 lead. The Warriors closed out the set on a 3-0 run, starting with a Birtcil kill, followed by a Coulter block. Coulter ended the set and match with a kill on the following point.
Up Next
ESU continues its season against PSAC West No. 1 seed and host Gannon in a semifinal match Friday night, scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
