EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The East Stroudsburg University volleyball team, the No. 3 seed from the PSAC East, will face Gannon, the No. 1 seed from the PSAC West, in the semifinal round of the PSAC Tournament. The match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Gannon's Hagerty Family Events Center.

How to Follow:

• The match will be broadcast on the PSAC Digital Network.
• Live stats will be available at Gannonsports.com.
• Tickets will be available at Hudl Tickets.

Game Notes:

How We Got Here: ESU enters the match on a five-match win streak, with two victories in four sets and three in three sets, including a sweep of PSAC East No. 2 seed Shippensburg at Heiges Field House. With a 20-7 record, the Warriors have advanced to their fifth straight PSAC Semifinal and fourth straight under head coach Tricia Melfy.
Gannon is 22-6 on the season and has made it back to the PSAC Semifinal. The Golden Knights have won four matches in a row, also with two victories in four sets and two in three sets. They swept their first-round opponent, Seton Hill.

The Series: All-time, Gannon has won 20 of 23 matchups, with the last ESU victory coming in 2018 when the Warriors swept the Golden Knights 3-0, after defeating them 3-1 the year prior. The most recent meeting occurred last season in the PSAC Semifinals, when Gannon narrowly won in five sets.

Scouting ESU: The Warriors are led by All-PSAC East Athlete of the Year Anna Coulter, who accumulated 470 points, the most in the PSAC East. She led the conference in hitting percentage at .445 and in blocks per set (1.43) while ranking fifth in kills per set (3.76). Taylor Haan, a two-time All-PSAC East honoree, is fourth in assists per set (9.96) and second in aces per set (0.56). Leonor Chambel, an All-PSAC East Second Team member, is a key part of the defense, ranking fifth in the PSAC in digs per set (4.35). Freshman Kelly Crites is 15th in the PSAC in kills per set (2.87). In their 20 victories, ESU has won 13 by sweep.

Scouting Gannon: The Golden Knights have three players ranked in the top 15 in the PSAC in points per set: All-PSAC West First Team member Journey Blevins (sixth, 4.06), second-team member Hailey Koch (11th, 3.43), and first-team honoree Ali Sorenson (13th, 3.28). They also have the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year, Emma Hall, who ranks second in digs per set (5.43), and second-team member Arslan Bengisu, who is second in assists per set (10.13) and fifth in service aces (0.51). Lauren Atwell is fourth in blocks per set (1.26), and along with Sorenson, has helped Gannon out-block opponents 285 to 164. In their 22 wins, 13 have been by sweep. The Golden Knights have played a fifth set six times, winning four of those matches.

The Coaches: Tricia Melfy has led the Warriors to PSAC Semifinal appearances in all four years at the helm. At ESU, she has a 75-39 record, earned the 2022 PSAC East Coach of the Year award, and led the team to an NCAA Tournament appearance the same year. Melfy and the Warriors are seeking the program's first conference championship since 2019.
Matt Darling is in his 18th year as head coach of Gannon, with a career record of 428-149. During his tenure, Gannon has won four PSAC Championships, including the past two. The Golden Knights have made the NCAA Tournament every season since 2009 and are looking to three-peat in the PSAC and secure another NCAA appearance.

A Look Ahead: The winner of this match will face the winner of the Shepherd/IUP match. The championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23.