Monday, November 11, 2002

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL EARNS 2ND STRAIGHT ECAC BID AS TOURNAMENT’S TOP SEED

CENTERVILLE, MA --- The Moravian College women’s volleyball squad will make its second consecutive appearance in the Eastern College Athletic Conference South Championships as the Greyhounds earned the top seed for the second consecutive year. Moravian will travel to second-seeded Carnegie Mellon University for the six-team tournament on Friday, November 15th and Saturday, November 16th.

Moravian will battle the winner of the first round match that features third-seeded Franklin & Marshall College (28-9) and sixth-seeded Westminster College (25-9) on Saturday, November 16th at 10:00 a.m. Friday’s other first round contest has fourth-seeded Lebanon Valley College (28-11) playing fifth seeded FDU-Florham (22-8). The winner will battle host and second-seeded Carnegie Mellon University (25-12) in Saturday’s other semifinal at 10:00 a.m. The championship match is also slated for Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Moravian, which has made the postseason in each of the last seven years, has posted a 25-9 overall record this season under tenth-year head coach Shelley Bauder, who has a record of 218-106 at Moravian. The Greyhounds were the top seed in the ECAC South Championships last season before falling to sixth-seeded Grove City College in the championship match. Moravian had won six consecutive matches before falling to nationally ranked Juniata College for the seventh straight year in the Commonwealth Conference title match and the Greyhounds have won over 20 matches in each of the last seven seasons.

The Greyhounds are being led this season by junior outside hitter Kim Zipf (Wyomissing, PA/Holy Name HS) with 429 kills this fall and she has added a .308 hitting percentage, 365 digs, 19 blocks, 19 assists and 21 service aces.

Freshman middle hitter Lindsey Siracusa (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury HS) has a hitting percentage of .308 and 40 service aces and she leads the Hounds with 85 blocks. Siracusa has also added 378 kills and 103 digs on the year. Junior middle hitter Shannon McNeil (Reading, PA/Reading Central Catholic HS) has 255 kills, a.315 hitting percentage, 97 digs, 21 service aces and 57 blocks for the Greyhounds this season.

Junior setter Amy Lawrence (Gettysburg, PA/Delone Catholic HS) controls the Greyhounds on the floor with 1,369 assists this fall. Lawrence has also contributed 345 digs, a team leading 53 service aces, 122 kills, 27 blocks and a .318 hitting percentage. Lawrence and Zipf have combined to earn the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week award five times this season with Zipf winning three times.

Senior outside hitter Sara Walkiewicz (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has contributed 202 kills, 241 digs, 22 assists and 33 service aces. Junior right side hitter Sara Hollenbacher (Reading, PA/Reading Central Catholic HS) has added 82 kills, 25 digs, 20 assists and 20 blocks while junior right side hitter Mary Kate Cordisco (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS) has 102 kills, 42 digs, 17 blocks, 20 assists and 11 service aces.

Sophomore outside hitter Christina Wallace (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has added 173 kills on the year with 153 digs, 34 service aces and 18 blocks while senior right side hitter Vicki Fisher (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick HS) has contributed 22 kills and ten blocks.

Junior Alissa Bucsi (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has 369 digs while playing the new libero position. Bucsi also has nine service aces. Junior defensive specialist Andrea Frankenfield (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS) has added 191 digs and 43 service aces.