AMCC WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY

The 2023 AMCC Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament kicks off on Wednesday evening with first round matchups. Penn State Altoona and Penn State Behrend both finished the regular season with 8-1 records to be named Regular Season Co-Champions. However, it was the Altoona Lions who won the regular season matchup between the two teams to earn the #1 seed. On Wednesday evening, #6 Mount Aloysius College will travel to #3 Alfred State College, while #4 Wells College hosts #5 La Roche University. Regular season champion Penn State Altoona will be the top seed and will receive a first round bye, along with second seed Penn State Behrend. 

With an 8-1 record, Penn State Altoona has earned the top seed in the AMCC championship tournament. Outside hitter Lia Simanski leads the Lions offense with 2.68 kills per set in conference play. Libero Anna Batrus leads the Lions, and ranks fourth in the AMCC, with 5.26 digs per set against conference teams. Middle blocker Taylor Myers carries a .276 hitting percentage to go with 15 blocks on the season.

Penn State Behrend also enters the tournament with an 8-1 record and the No. 2 seed. The returning AMCC Co-Player of the year, outside hitter Hannah Phillips, leads Behrend, and ranks fourth in the AMCC in conferece play, with 3.58 kills per set. Setter Meg Goodsel tops the conference with 9.81 assists per set while middle hitter Breana Reynolds is second in the league with a .364 hitting percentage in conference play.

Defending champion Alfred State has earned the No. 3 seed this year with a 7-2 record. Nayomie Ferrer Santiago tops the league with 25 service aces (.71 per set) and ranks second with 9.46 assists per set in conference play. Outside hitter Racquel Gerstenberger is second in the AMCC with 130 kills and 3.71 kills per set.  

No. 4 Wells enters the tournament with a 5-4 record, edging out La Roche and Mount Aloyius who shared the same record, due to the tiebreak criteria. Express middle hitter Miah Williamson leads the AMCC in conference play with a .393 hitting percentage while adding 3.11 kills per set and 25 blocks. Libero Roosa Armstead-Lehti has recorded 3.55 digs per set against AMCC teams this season.

La Roche also comes into the tournament with a 5-4 record and the No. 5 seed. Defensive Specialist Mackenzie Kerkan tops the conference with 211 digs and 5.86 digs per set in conference play. Middle hitter Quinn Hughes has been a force at the net for the Redhawks, leading the league with 39 blocks against conference teams, averaging 1.08 blocks per set.

Rounding out the field is No. 6 Mount Aloysius, also with a 5-4 record. Reigning AMCC Newcomer of the Year Molly Richards has been hot all season on both sides of the net, tallying a conference-leading 159 kills against AMCC teams, averaging 4.54 kills per set, while also ranking second with 192 digs and 5.49 digs per set. Defensive Specialist Kadence Della Valle has added 4.66 digs per set, ranking fifth in the conference. 

First round games will take place on Wednesday, November 1 at 7pm with #6 Mount Aloysius at #3 Alfred State and #5 La Roche at #4 Wells. Hosted by Penn State Altoona, the semifinals will be on Saturday, November 11 and the finals on Sunday, November 12. Go to the AMCC Fall Sports Championships page for more details.