Volleyball Enters 2019 Season Eyeing Playoff Berth
After just missing the PSUAC playoffs a year ago, the PSUGA Volleyball team enters the 2019 season eyeing their first playoff spot since the 2014 season. With eight returning players, PSUGA will try to build off last year's experience to achieve their goal.
McKeesport, Pa. – In each of the last two seasons, the Penn State Greater Allegheny Volleyball team battled until the final week of the season but fell just short of a Penn State University Athletic Conference playoff berth. As they enter 2019, they are more determined than ever to claim their first playoff spot since their Final Four season in 2014
PSUGA brings back eight players from last year’s team and are looking to take the next step towards the playoffs. Third-Year head coach Alyssa Finocchi has helped the team improve in each of her first two seasons, including increasing their win total by two games from a season ago. She is looking to lead the team to the playoffs for the first time in her coaching career and will rely on the talent of her returners to do so.
Leading the charge will be sophomore Alix Ellis (Derry, PA./Derry Area HS) coming off an impressive freshman campaign. She finished sixth in the PSUAC with 3.08 kills/set and finished the year leading PSUGA with 189 kills in 498 total attacks. For her efforts, she was named a PSUAC First-Team All-Conference player as well as a United States Collegiate Athletic Association All-American Honorable Mention.
Joining Ellis on the offensive side of the ball will be junior Kaylee Holtzman (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport HS) and sophomore Sueriah Timsah (Mesquite, TX./West Mesquite HS). Both women finished with 80+ kills while Timsah finished tied for third on the team with 126 digs. With all three on top of their game, PSUGA can have the opportunity to have an offense that will score points in bunches.
Helping to set up the team’s top three attackers will be a pair of two newcomers in freshman Nicole Caballero (Miami, FL./Florida Christian HS) and Andrea Ghiloni (Granville, OH./Granville HS). Both led their high schools to the playoffs in their senior seasons and look to bring that same success to the PSUGA volleyball program.
PSUGA is preparing for the challenge ahead of them, with a schedule featuring a balance of tough non-conference play and heavy PSUAC action. After kicking off the year at the USCAA Tip-off Tournament on August 30th and 31st, they return home for a non-conference battle with Carlow on September 9th. They kick-off PSUAC play just two days later when they face PSU-Shenango on September 11th. At the end of September, they head to the second annual PSUAC Crossover event that will help kickstart an October schedule that features 10 matches in 22 days.
The highlight of the season comes on the last home date of the year when they host senior day on October 19th. PSUGA will host both Penn State Fayette and Kent State Tuscarawas in a tri-match in what could turn out to be a pivotal playoff match.
The PSUGA Volleyball team kicks off the PSUGA Athletics season when they take on Carlow and PSU-Mont Alto on August 30th for day one of the USCAA Tip-off Tournament. The first match is scheduled for noon followed by the second match at 4 p.m. on Penn State Beaver’s campus.