NCAA D-II Women’s Volleyball

For the first time in school history, the Clarion University women’s volleyball team is going dancing in NCAA Division II Playoffs.

The Golden Eagles (31-4), one of 48 teams nationwide to make the NCAA’s, are the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Atlantic Region and will play sixth seeded Lees-McRae (27-16) in the opening round at 6 p.m. Thursday at Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Memorial Fieldhouse. Clarion defeated Lees-McRae 3-1 Oct. 5 in the Clarion Classic.

"We have been working toward the NCAA’s since last spring," Clarion’s second-year head coach Tracey Fluharty said. "One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to qualify for the NCAA Playoffs. Now we are here, and we are ready to compete. The six teams in our region are all quality teams, and it should be a very competitive tournament."

The winner of the Clarion-Lees-McRae match will face second seeded Edinboro (24-8), the PSAC runner-up at 6 p.m. Friday. Edinboro as well as host IUP have first-round byes. Clarion split its two matches with Edinboro this season losing 3-0 at Edinboro and winning 3-1 at Clarion.

IUP (32-3), the PSAC Champion, is the top seed and will play the winner of Thursday’s 8 p.m. match between fourth seeded St. Augustine’s (28-2) and fifth seeded California (16-13) at 8 p.m. Friday.

The winners of the semifinal matches will play in the Atlantic Regional championship game at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Atlantic Region champion will move into the "Elite 8" which will take place Dec. 5-7 at a site to be announced.

"The key to winning at Regionals will be playing our game and taking it one match at a time," Fluharty said. "The team is excited, focused and ready to play. Right now they are playing at the peak of their game."

Clarion, which last played Nov. 9 in a 3-1 win over Edinboro, has won five matches in a row and 13 of its past 15 matches while setting a school record for wins in a season.

"We have been able to play consistently for much of the year," Fluharty said. "That is a testament to the leadership displayed by our upperclassmen."

One senior, a trio of juniors and three sophomores lead the way for the Golden Eagles.

The lone senior is four-year starter Beth Stalder (Bethel Park/Bethel Park).

Stalder has 304 kills, 109 blocks and 107 digs this season. In her career she ranks third in school history in kills (1,160) and second in blocks (530).

The three juniors are outside hitter Melanie Bull (York/Susquehannock), setter Jackie Hill (Seven Valley/Susquehannock) and Libero Laurie Hepler (Cochranton/Cochranton).

Bull leads the Golden Eagles in kills (528), digs (563) and service aces (62) this year and set the school’s single-season record for kills. In her career she is the school record holder in digs (1,463) and ranks second in kills (1,322).

Hill, who holds the school record for set assists in a career with 4,376, has 1,416 assists this season to go along with 330 digs and 71 kills. She is sixth in school history in career digs with 1,069.

Hepler is the heart and sole of the Golden Eagle defense and is second on the team with 493 digs, which ranks fifth in a single season in school history.

The trio of sophomores who have been very productive for Clarion include Tonya Zatko (Leesport/Schuylkill Valley), Colleen Sherk (Wilmington, Del./Concord) and Sara Heyl (Midlothian, Va./Clover Hill).

Zatko has 311 kills and 85 blocks, Sherk has 251 kills and a team-leading 125 blocks and Heyl has 217 kills and 318 digs.

Two freshmen – Heather Byrne (Van Wert, Ohio/Lincolnview) and Ashley Kreiner (London, Ohio/London) – have also been keys to Clarion’s defense in 2002.

Byrne has 165 digs, while Kreiner has 247 digs.

GOLDEN EAGLE NOTES: Ticket prices for the tournament are as follows – Thursday & Friday’s matches are $10 per day for adults, $6 per day for students with a valid ID and $4 per day for children 12 and younger. On Saturday adults tickets are $6, students tickets are $4 and children’s seats are $3 ... Clarion has been to a national tournament in volleyball once before. The 1977 team under Pat Ferguson finished sixth at the EAIAW Regionals held at Binghamton, NY. That team finished the season 14-5 ... The previous record for wins in a season was 27 held by the 1989 squad ... Clarion won the PSAC Title in 1988.

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by Chris Rossetti