Monday, October 31, 2005

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO TRAVLE TO JUNIATA COLLEGE IN COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s volleyball team has earned the fourth seed in the 2005 Commonwealth Conference Tournament and will travel to top seeded Juniata College in a semifinal contest on Wednesday, November 2nd in a match beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday’s other semifinal will feature second seeded Lebanon Valley College hosting third seed Elizabethtown College at 7:00 p.m. The semifinal winners will meet on Saturday, November 5th in the conference championship match at the highest remaining seed. The winner of the championship contest will receive an automatic berth in the to 2005 NCAA Division III Tournament that begins on November 10th.

The Greyhounds, who were ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II Mid-Atlantic rankings last week, are 21-9 on the season. Moravian, under the direction of 12-year head coach Shelley Bauder, had a 4-3 mark during the Commonwealth Conference regular season that was tied with Elizabethtown, however the Blue Jays won the tiebreaker winning the head-to-head match. The Greyhounds are making a return to the postseason after missing the playoffs a year ago. Moravian played for the conference championship against Juniata every year from 1996 to 2003.

Senior middle hitter Lindsey Siracusa (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury HS), who has been on the All-Tournament Teams in the first two tournaments this season and the MVP of the Elizabethtown Blue Jay Classic, has become the all-time leader in kills at Moravian, breaking Kim Zipf's record of 1,516. Sircusa has made 1,553 kills in her career. This season, Siracusa has contributed a team high 110 blocks to go with 375 kills, 42 service aces and 57 digs. Siracusa also has a .291 hitting percentage.

In her career, Siracusa has played in 133 matches and 476 games while contributing 1,553 kills on a school record 3,576 attempts, a .285 hitting percentage, 418 blocks (second all-time), 324 digs, 150 service aces and 50 assists.

Junior outside hitter Kelly Bauer (Hellertown, PA/Notre Dame HS) leads Moravian with 405 kills and 336 digs. Bauer, who made the All-Tournament Teams at the Gettysburg Battlefield and Elizabethtown Blue Jay Classics, also has 30 service aces, 26 assists and 38 blocks this fall.

Junior setter Valerie Korsak (Coplay, PA/Whitehall HS) leads the Greyhounds with 1,100 assists to go with 134 kills, 43 service aces, 186 digs and 53 blocks. Sophomore outside Rachel Radocha (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall HS) has contributed 273 kills, 224 digs, 36 service aces, 26 assists and 24 blocks this fall while sophomore middle hitter Jenna Wallace (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has added 234 kills and 68 blocks for Moravian.

Sophomore right side hitter Katherine Perkins (Lehighton, PA/Lehighton HS) has 49 kills, 29 assists, 28 digs and 28 blocks while freshman outside hitter Maria DeBonis (Nazareth, PA/Notre Dame HS) contributed 12 kills and 12 digs before an injury sidelined her for the rest of the season. Junior defensive specialist Ashley Hugo (Bath, PA/Northampton HS) has 186 digs, 25 assists and 14 service aces while sophomore libero Elise Martin (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS) has added 133 digs.

Sophomore libero Christa Burke (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) has 125 digs and 29 service aces while freshman setter Stephanie Struble (Hampton, NJ/Voorhees HS) has contributed 37 assists, 63 digs, 13 service aces and seven kills. Junior outside hitter Jodie Elstner (Center Valley, PA/Southern Lehigh HS) has added 13 kills, nine digs and 13 blocks in limited action while freshman setter Elisa Molchany (North Catasauqua, PA/Catasauqua HS) has 31 digs, 15 assists, six service aces and two kills.

Juniata enters the postseason as the defending national champion with an overall mark of 31-1 and a 7-0 slate during the Commonwealth Conference regular season. The Eagles, who are ranked second in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll, have won 278 straight matches against conference opponents.

Junior middle hitter Stephanie Kines leads the Eagles with 359 kills, 100 blocks and 49 service aces while senior middle hitter Katie Laucks has added 315 kills, 74 blocks and 41 service aces. Junior outside hitter Rachel Schatz has contributed 337 kills and 68 blocks while freshman setter Jess Ritchey has 903 assists, 193 digs, 32 service aces, 18 blocks and 47 kills this season for the Eagles.

Freshman outside hitter Amber Thomas has 285 kills, 200 digs, 18 blocks and 29 service aces while freshman middle hitter Erin Albert has added 130 kills and 60 blocks. Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Tara McMinn has a team high 423 digs to go with 21 service aces while senior libero/defensive specialist Abby Leonard has 217 digs and 42 service aces this fall.