(Posted November 10, 2005)

Huntingdon, PA - A late run in game one sparked the Gettysburg College women's volleyball team to a 3-0 win over Penn State-Behrend in NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional action in Huntingdon Thursday evening. Gettysburg (21-12) will now face the winner of the regional nightcap between Eastern University and the University of Scranton.

Penn State-Behrend, which was making its first-ever NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship appearance closes its season with a record of 26-8. The Bullets claimed the match by game scores of 30-26, 30-25, 34-32.

Game one was up for grabs late in the contest, as the two teams were tied at 25. Gettysburg then seized control with a three-point spurt, highlighted by kills from Lauren Thul and Jayme Massey to take a 28-25 lead. The Lions halted the run with a point but a ball-handling error and a kill from Erica Rau capped the game one win for the Bullets.

Gettysburg used that momentum to jump out to a big lead in game two. The third-seed Bullets scored 11 of the first 16 points of the game to force a Penn State-Behrend timeout. A service ace from Steph Vial extended the lead to 17-7. The Lions would keep battling, however, getting to within three points at 28-25 following a kill from Elaine Voltz. A Lions hitting error stopped the run, and Gettysburg closed the game with a Katie Potochney service ace.

The Lions held the edge for most of game three as a double block from Voltz and Paige Payer gave the visitors a 14-11 edge. The lead would grow as big as six points, but Gettysburg slowly inched back, drawing even at 28 points apiece after a setting error. Each team would have a chance to seal the game, including two chances for Penn State-Behrend with the last coming at 31-30 after a Sarah Webb finish. Gettysburg then countered, moving in front 33-32 before Rau closed the match with her 13th kill.

Rau led all players with 13 finishes, while Thul and Massey added 11 and 10 respectively. Shannan Smith passed out 42 assists for the Bullets and was in double figures with 12 digs. Margaret Hallahan led the team with 14 digs, while Massey and Thul both had three blocks.

Voltz was in double figures in kills for the Lions as she pounded out 12 finishes. Amanda Evans directed the Penn State-Behrend offense with 32 assists. Lisa Wagner led all players with 21 digs. Karla Murray and Brittany Hennessy both added 18 digs for the sixth-seeded Lions, while Evans contributed 16 digs of her own. Voltz and Payer each notched a team-best five blocks.

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