IUP Drops Match to Edinboro to Miss PSAC Playoffs

Boxscore

The IUP volleyball team held a 2-1 lead before Edinboro rallied to win the final two games and down the Indians by a score of 3-2 at Memorial Field House to earn a spot in the PSAC playoffs.

After Slippery Rock lost to California on Friday, the third and final spot in the PSAC tournament out of the Western Division came down to the Saturday night match between IUP and Edinboro.

The Fighting Scots (24-14, 4-6 PSAC West) took the win by game scores of 30-27, 26-30, 24-30, 30-25, 15-12.  IUP, which will now await a possible sixth straight trip to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional tournament, is 24-10 and 3-7 in the West.

Lock Haven and California had already clinched the top two spots in the PSAC West.  Kutztown is the No. 1 seed in the East and the host of the tournament, which gets under way on Friday.  The other participating teams are Millersville and West Chester.

Brittany Gates, one of four IUP seniors playing their final home match, led the Indians with 18 kills and 12 blocks.  Fellow senior Heather Bauer added eight kills, five digs and five blocks.

Alicia Koches added 52 assists and 12 digs while Jill Bixler led the team in digbs with 19.

The other seniors on the 2005 IUP roster include Amy Badorf, who has missed most of the season with an injury, and Amanda Dawson.

The NCAA tournament takes place November 17-19, most likely at Lock Haven.  IUP has advanced as far as the region title match in 2001 and 2002 and the semifinals each of the past two seasons.