Head Coach Joanna Haupt's Lady Cat volleyball team, 24-9 on the season, has earned the No. 4 seed and will play fifth-seeded California University (PA) in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Volleyball Tournament on Friday at 5 p.m. at the McDonough Center in Wheeling, W.Va… (Tournament Website) ...  (NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Tournament Bracket) … (Interactive Bracket) ... (Full NCAA Release)
 
Eight eight-team regionals will be played at on-campus sites. Regional competition will be single-elimination, best three-of-five-set matches and will not include a third-place match. The winners of each of the eight regionals will advance to the finals, Dec. 8-10, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and Sioux Falls Sports Authority will serve as hosts. Competition at the finals site will be single-elimination; best three-of-five-set matches.
 

Atlantic Region
Hosted by Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling, W.Va. – Dec. 2-4
No. 1 Wheeling Jesuit (38-2) vs. No. 8 Shaw (22-7)
No. 2 Gannon (30-3) vs. No. 7 Fairmont State (21-13)
No. 3 Edinboro (23-8) vs. No. 6 Shippensburg (26-7)
No. 4 Pitt-Johnstown (24-9) vs. No. 5 California (Pennsylvania) (22-9)
 
TICKET INFORMATION
All-Tournament Pass: $25
Adults: $10
Students: $5
Senior Citzens: $5 The Regional Quarterfinals game times are noon, 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2. The Saturday semifinals begin at 5 p.m. and the second contest is at 7:30 p.m. The Atlantic Regional final will be at 5 p.m. on Sunday evening.
 
The winner of the Pitt-Johnstown-California (PA) match will take on the winner of the Wheeling Jesuit-Shaw match in the Atlantic Region Semifinals on December 3.
 
Pitt-Johnstown (24-9) was the 2016 PSAC Central Division champions with a 15-3 mark in conference-play.  The Lady Cats reached the PSAC Championship by defeating sixth-seeded Seton Hill University in the quarterfinals on November 15 and seventh-seeded Indiana University (PA) in the semifinals on November 18.  However, Pitt-Johnstown then suffered a three-set loss to to-seeded University in the title match.
 
The Lady Cats had five players on PSAC All-Conference Teams, including First-Team selections junior outside hitter Marissa Erminio and junior defensive specialist Devan Orr.  Orr was also selected by the conference's coaches as the PSAC's Defensive Player of the Year for the third consecutive season.  In addition, junior middle hitter Kendall Mahony and junior outside hitter Cambria Wierman were named Second-Team All-PSAC, and sophomore outside hitter Maura Brehl was a third-team all-conference choice.
 
Pitt-Johnstown is led by four players averaging more than two kills per set, including Erminio's 3.25 kills per set.  Wierman (2.77 kps.), Brehl (2.43 kps), and Mahony (2.30 kps) are also averaging over a pair of kills per set.
 
The Lady Cats earned their first ever NCAA Regional Tournament berth in 2013 and their second in 2015 where.  Pitt-Johnstown suffered quarterfinals losses both years.
 
California (PA) (22-9), which finished first in the PSAC Southwest Division at 13-5, will be making their 14^th trip to the NCAA Regional Tournament in the last 15 years.  The Golden Rams won five of their final seven matches, but fell to eventual conference tournament champion Gannon in the PSAC tournament semifinals.
 
The Vulcans are paced by First-Team All-PSAC selections Danielle Hayes' 3.98 kills per set and Seairra Barrett's 2.99 kills per set.
 
The Lady Cats and Vulcans met in California (PA) on October 29 and Pitt-Johnstown came away with a 3-sets-to-2 victory.  Pitt-Johnstown got a match-high 22 kills and 17 digs from Wierman, 17 kills and 13 digs from Brehl, and 16 kills and eight digs from Erminio.  California (PA) was led by Hayes' 20 kills, three blocks, and 17 digs and Barrett's 10 kills and eight blocks.

 

SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Friday, December 2, 2016 - Quarterfinals
12:00 p.m.	Match 1: #3 Edinboro vs. #6 Shippensburg								XML | HTM | VPK
	Live Stats | Watch | Postgame | Recap | Edinboro Release | Shippensburg Release Edinboro Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 \\ Shippensburg Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
2:30 p.m.	Match 2: #2 Gannon vs. #7 Fairmont State								XML | HTM | VPK
	Live Stats | Watch | Postgame | Recap | Gannon Release | Fairmont State Release Gannon Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 \\ Fairmont State Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
5:00 p.m.	Match 3: #4 Pitt-Johnstown vs. #5 California (Pa.)								XML | HTM | VPK
	Live Stats | Watch | Postgame | Recap | UPJ Release | Cal Release UPJ Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 \\ Cal Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
7:30 p.m.	Match 4: #1 Wheeling Jesuit vs. #8 Shaw								XML | HTM | VPK
	Live Stats | Watch | Postgame | Wheeling Jesuit Release | Shaw Release Wheeling Jesuit Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 \\ Shaw Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Saturday, December 3, 2016 - Semifinals
5:00 p.m.	Match 5: Edinboro/Shippensburg winner vs. Gannon/Fairmont State winner								XML | HTM | VPK
	Live Stats | Watch| Postgame | Recap | Edinboro/Shippensburg Release | Gannon/Fairmont State Release Edinboro/Shippensburg Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 \\ Gannon/Fairmont State Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
7:30 p.m.	Match 6: Pitt-Johnstown/California (Pa.) winner vs. Wheeling Jesuit/Shaw winner								XML | HTM | VPK
	Live Stats | Watch | Postgame | Recap | Pitt-Johnstown/California (Pa.) Release | Wheeling Jesuit/Shaw Release Pitt-Johnstown/California (Pa.) Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 \\ Wheeling Jesuit/Shaw Photos: 1 | 2 | 3
Sunday, December 4, 2015 - Championship
5:00 p.m.	Game 7: Semifinal 1 winner vs. Semifinal 2 winner								XML | HTM | VPK
	Live Stats | Watch LIVE | Postgame | Recap | Semifinal 1 winner Release | Semifinal 2 winner Release Semifinal 1 winner Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 \\ Semifinal 2 Photos: 1 | 2 | 3