Sports News: Fall 2002

Thursday, November 7, 2002

’HOUND WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM HEADS TO JUNIATA COLLEGE FOR COMMONWEALTH CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women’s volleyball squad will make its seventh consecutive Commonwealth Conference Championship match appearance as the second-seeded Greyhounds travel to top-seeded Juniata College for the finals on Saturday, November 9th at 5:00 p.m.

Moravian earned its seventh straight trip to the finals with a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Messiah College. Juniata, the defending Commonwealth Conference Champions, defeated Lebanon Valley College, 3-0 in the other semifinal. The Eagles have not lost to a conference opponent since losing to Gettysburg College back in 1981.

Moravian, which has made the postseason in each of the last seven years, has posted a 25-8 overall record this season under tenth-year head coach Shelley Bauder. The Greyhounds have won six consecutive matches and 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 418 kills this fall and she has added a .305 hitting percentage, 355 digs, 19 blocks, 18 assists and 21 service aces.

Freshman middle hitter Lindsey Siracusa (Yardley, PA/Pennsbury HS) has a hitting percentage of .308 and 38 service aces and she leads the Hounds with 84 blocks. Siracusa has also added 371 kills and 101 digs on the year. Junior middle hitter Shannon McNeil (Reading, PA/Reading Central Catholic HS) has 251 kills, a.319 hitting percentage, 96 digs, 20 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 1,345 assists this fall. Lawrence has also contributed 342 digs, a team leading 52 service aces, 118 kills, 27 blocks and a .320 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, 237 digs, 22 assists and 33 service aces. Junior right side hitter Sara Hollenbacher (Reading, PA/Reading Central Catholic HS) has added 80 kills, 25 digs, 19 assists and 20 blocks while junior right side hitter Mary Kate Cordisco (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS) has 101 kills, 42 digs, 17 blocks, 19 assists and 11 service aces.

Sophomore outside hitter Christina Wallace (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has added 171 kills on the year with 148 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 356 digs while playing the new libero position. Bucsi also has nine service aces. Junior defensive specialist Andrea Frankenfield (Emmaus, PA/Emmaus HS) has added 185 digs and 41 service aces.

Siracusa, Lawrence, Wallace and Bucsi all earned All-Tournament Honors at the Elizabethtown College Blue Jay Classic last weekend as the Greyhounds captured the title and won five matches.

Juniata enters the contest with an overall record of 29-4 and the Eagles were ranked fifth in the nation this week in the American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division III Top 25 Poll. Juniata has won 253 consecutive matches against conference opponents and has won every MAC or Commonwealth title since 1981.

Senior middle hitter Nikki Mueller leads the Eagles with 395 kills and 93 blocks and she has added 31 service aces and 48 digs while sophomore outside hitter Erin Wisor has contributed 291 kills, 32 service aces, 272 digs and 31 blocks. Freshman middle hitter Katie Laucks has 261 kills, 79 blocks, 35 digs and 11 service aces in her debut season sophomore outside hitter Lindsey Habel has contributed 183 kills, 269 digs, 30 blocks and a team leading 50 service aces.

Junior outside hitter/libero Johanna Holton leads Juniata with 575 digs while sophomore setter Carli Dale has 1m387 assists, 121 kills, 82 digs, 37 service aces and 19 blocks. Junior defensive specialist Lauren Beasley has 131 digs and 38 service aces on the year while junior middle hitter Jenn Habel has contributed 95 kills and 38 blocks. Freshman middle hitter Katie Charles has 1754 kills and 31 blocks while junior opposite hitter Danielle Hart had 193 kills, 130 digs, 26 blocks and 30 service aces before her season was ended by a knee injury.