WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAMS SET FOR AMCC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT

The 2024 AMCC Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament kicks off on Wednesday evening with first round matchups. Alfred State College and Penn State Altoona both finished the regular season with 7-1 records to be named Regular Season Co-Champions. However, it was the Alfred State Pioneers who won the regular season matchup between the two teams to earn the #1 seed. On Wednesday evening, #6 La Roche University will travel to #3 Penn State Behrend, while #4 Mount Aloysius College hosts #5 Hilbert College. Alfred State will be the top seed and will receive a first round bye, along with second seed Penn State Altoona. 

With a conference record of 7-1, Alfred State enters the tournament as the #1 seed. Sophomore OH Alayna Tomlinson and senior OH Racquel Gerstenberger lead the Pioneer attack, averaging 4.22 and 4.15 kills per set in conference play, respectively. Gerstenberger adds in 12 service aces and 3.59 digs per set. Senior L Nayomie Ferrer tops the conference with 10.78 assists per set and ranks second in the AMCC with 23 service aces, while sophomore MH Erin Gregoire leads the conference with a .362 hitting percentage

Also with a 7-1 record, Penn State Altoona has earned the #2 seed in the champtionship tournament. Senior L Anna Batrus ranks second in the AMCC with 179 total digs and 5.97 digs per set in conference play. Sophomore OH Lia Simanski leads the Lions with 2.70 kills per set while senior MB Makenna Port carries a .308 hitting percentage and averages 0.53 blocks per set. Senior MB Taylor Myers chips in with 16 service aces against AMCC teams. 

With a 6-2 record is Penn State Behrend, who comes into the tournament as the #4 seed. Freshman OH Cadence Jones leads the Lions, and the AMCC, with 4.70 kills per set in conference play. Jones also ranks third with 0.70 service aces per set and a .310 hitting percentage. Her 186.5 total points in league play, along with her 5.7 points per set, are tops in the AMCC. Freshman S Brynne Smith leads the conference with 317 assists in AMCC play, while her 9.61 assists per set rank second. Junior L Sara Nobach leads her team with 3.75 digs per set, while Hannah Smith chips in with 0.64 blocks per set.

Mount Aloysius carries a 5-3 record and enters the tournament as the #4 seed. Leading the offensive attack for the Mounties is junior OH Molly Richards who tops the AMCC with 410 total attacks and 12.42 attacks pet set, while also ranking fourth with 3.94 kills per set. Richards ranks fourth in the conference with 5.21 digs per set and her 4.5 points per set is fourth-best in the league. Sophomore OH Madison Barr ranks first in the AMCC with 209 digs in conference play, averaging a league-best 6.33 digs per set. Barr's twin sister Mackenzie Barr carries a .255 hitting percentage and 0.85 blocks per set, while Reghyn Wilson averages 4.72 assists per set.

Hilbert has earned the #5 seed with a 3-5 conference record, marking the first time in 10 years the Hawks have made an appearance in the postseason tournament. Hilbert setter Jessee Jonathan has recorded the third-most assists in conference play with 212, while her 6.63 assists per set and 21 service aces rank fourth. Natalie Ruhlman's 4.22 digs per set rank sixth in the conference. 

Rounding out the field is # La Roche also with a 3-5 record. Junior MH Kalli Grine ranks second in the AMCC with 0.88 blocker per set, while senior L Mackenzie Kerkan ranks fifth in the conference with 5.06 digs per set.

First round games will take place on Wednesday, November 13 at 7pm with #6 La Roche at #3 Penn State Behrend and #5 Hilbert at #4 Mount Aloysiis. Hosted by Alfred State, the semifinals will be on Saturday, November 16 and the finals on Sunday, November 17. Go to the AMCC Fall Sports Championships page for more details.