November 8, 1999
LADY HOUNDS RECEIVE THIRD STRAIGHT NCAA BID
See also: NCAA
Volleyball Championship Tournament Schedule
BETHLEHEM, PA --- With a 25-7 record and a ranking of second in the latest American Volleyball
Coaches Association NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional poll, the Moravian College
womens volleyball squad was awarded its third straight NCAA Tournament bid Sunday
night.
The Lady Greyhounds were surprised by the announcement since the NCAA had instituted automatic
berths in most sports on the Division III level. There are 48 teams in the NCAA Division
III Volleyball Tournament and 45 were awarded automatic berths. Moravian was able to gain
one of the three at-large bids to the National Tournament.
Under the leadership of head coach Shelley Sorensen-Bauder, the Lady Greyhounds
have posted a 101-25 record over the last four years, made the NCAA Tournament the last
three seasons and played in the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship match, for the
third consecutive year, this past Saturday.
Moravian, the second seed, will have a first round bye at the NCAA Tournament hosted by
Juniata College which begins on Thursday, November 11th. Thursdays first round match-ups
are Franklin & Marshall College (#3), which also received an at-large bid, versus Eastern
College (#6) at 5:00 p.m. followed by the University of Scranton (#4) against Richard Stockton
College of New Jersey (#5) match. Moravian will play the winner of the Franklin & Marshall
match on Friday at 5:00 p.m. while top-ranked Juniata will play the Scranton-Richard Stockton
winner at 8:00 p.m. The championship match is set for 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Senior outside hitter Amy Sandt (Allentown/William Allen HS) has led the Lady Greyhounds
on the court this season. Sandt set a pair of records in the in MAC semifinal match against
Scranton, a 3-2 Moravian win, on Saturday. Sandt had 26 kills in the match to give her
1,455 kills for her career, breaking the mark of 1,449 set by current assistant coach Stephanie
Rickards last season. She added 39 digs to lift her season total to 525 digs, surpassing
her own school record set last fall. For the year, Sandt has 394 kills, 541 digs, 43 service
aces and 34 blocks.
Senior setter Kaitie Kramer (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Catholic HS) is also closing in
on a school record. Kramer, who holds the career record for assists, needs just 12 assists
to break the school record she set in 1998. This fall, Kramer has 1,149 assists, 342 digs,
117 kills, 40 blocks and 53 service aces.
Junior middle hitter Becky Falk (Allentown/Dieruff HS) is second on the Lady Greyhound
squad with 303 kills. Falk has also added 64 blocks. Junior middle hitter Sara Young
(Tunkhannock/ Tunkhannock HS) leads the team with 75 blocks and has added 239 kills.
Falk and Young rotate at the middle hitter position for Moravian.
Sophomore opposite hitter Sara Walkiewicz (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Catholic HS) has
contributed 151 kills, 279 digs, 56 blocks and 52 service aces after transferring to the
Bethlehem school this season.
Sophomore outside hitter Krystol Kessack (Bethlehem/Liberty HS) has 106 kills and
241 digs this season while junior outside hitter Kendra Insley (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood
HS) has 93 kills and 151 digs. The duo has split time at one outside hitter position
this season.
Junior defensive specialists Emily Shonk (Ligonier/Ligonier HS) and Natalie
Balaziuk (Bethlehem/Bethlehem Catholic HS) split time in the back row for the Lady
Greyhounds. Shonk has added 336 digs and 59 service aces while Balaziuk has 256 digs
and 61 service aces. The school record for service aces in a season is 67 set by Sandt
last fall.
Also contributing to the Lady Greyhounds this season have been junior Lisa Ann Herpok
(Hamden, CT/Sacred Heart Academy) and freshman middle hitter Vicki Fisher (East
Brunswick, NJ/ East Brunswick). Herpok has 14 kills and 12 digs while Fisher has
11 kill, 15 digs and seven blocks in limited action.
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