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The
schools first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament
highlighted the season for the womens volleyball team as the Lady
Greyhounds completed the fall with a 24-6 record and a 6-1 slate in the
Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth League. Head coach Shelley
Sorensen-Bauder was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association
Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year as well as the MAC Commonwealth
League Coach of the Year.
Moravian opened the season with four straight wins before running into
Central College (IA), which made the NCAA Division III Final Four. The
Lady Greyhounds lost four of their next six matches, three of the losses
were to teams that made the NCAA Tournament, before going on a 18-match
winning streak. During the streak, Moravian won championships at the
Bison Invitational hosted by Gallaudet in Washington, D.C., and the Halloween
Invitational hosted by Elizabethtown. The Lady Greyhounds lost to rival
Lycoming in both the MAC playoffs and the NCAA Tournament to end the
year.
Leading the Lady Greyhounds on the court was junior middle hitter Stephanie
Rickards (Lansdowne/Upper Darby HS) with 394 kills, a .356 hitting
percentage and 87 blocks. The All-MAC Commonwealth League first team
and AVCA Mid-Atlantic Region honoree added 252 digs and 39 service
aces. Sophomore Amy Sandt (Allentown/William Allen HS) was also
named to the All-MAC Commonwealth League first team and led Moravian
in digs with 287 and service aces with 52. She added 353 kills.
Sophomore setter Kaitie Kramer (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Catholic HS) made
the All-MAC Commonwealth league first team and ran the Moravian offense
with 10.51 assists per game. Senior Kristi Manley (Lancaster/Hempfield
HS) closed out her career with 272 kills and 236 digs.
In her first season with the team, freshman Sara Young (Tunkhannock/Tunkhannock
Area HS) was named the MAC Commonwealth League Rookie of the Year
after posting 106 kills, 40 blocks and 34 digs. Classmate Emily
Shonk (Ligonier/Ligonier HS) made 49 service aces and 112 digs
in her first season.
Earning a spot on the MAC All-Academic squad were Manley, Rickards and
Sandt. Rickards also garnered GTE/CoSIDA College Division Academic All-District
first team honors. She was also named to the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America® second
team.
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