#2 SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE BEARCATS (15-11, 8-2 PAC) @ #1 ALLEGHENY COLLEGE GATORS (25-5, 10-0 PAC) GAME NOTES
 
The Saint Vincent Women's Volleyball team will be headed to the PAC Championship Match for the first time in the program's history on Saturday night. The Bearcats earned a 3-1 win against Chatham in the PAC Semifinals on Thursday to advance to Saturday night's Championship against the top-seeded Allegheny College Gators.
 
WHEN: Saturday, November 16, 2024
WHERE: David V. Wise Center (Allegheny College)
TIME: 6:00 p.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE:
VIDEO: https://www.pacstream.net/
LIVE STATS: https://alleghenygators.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary
 
SAINT VINCENT AT A GLANCE
The Bearcats will be competing in their first ever President's Athletic Conference Championship Match in the program's history. Saint Vincent finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak, including winning six of their final seven matches to end the regular season. Saint Vincent's eight PAC wins during the regular season are the most they've had in conference play since the 2019 campaign, which was also the last time they advanced to the PAC Semifinals. The Bearcats have been led this season by a number of youthful talent, along with some veteran leadership as well. They have been sparked by the return of their senior setter Vivian Poach who returned to the court this season for SVC. Poach ranks second in the conference in assists with 587. Poach has been helped with some other veteran leadership in Kaelyn Staples-Klasnic and Lauren Fox. Staples-Klasnic ranks just outside the top five in the PAC in kills (9^th/271), while Fox ranks fifth in the conference in both hitting percentage (.253) and blocks (82). Stacie Ramos is another veteran leader for SVC that has been a critical piece to the Bearcats defense. The reigning PAC Defensive Player of the Week ranks just outside the top five in the PAC in digs (8^th/555). Freshmen, Meegan Williams and Dakota Hershberger have been very successful newcomers to the 2024 Saint Vincent team. Williams has earned PAC Newcomer of the Week honors five times over the course of the season, while Hershberger has won the award twice for the Bearcats as well. Williams and Hershberger both rank in the top 20 in the conference in kills with Williams ranking tenth (281) and Hershberger sitting at 20^th (198).
 
ALLEGHENY AT A GLANCE
Allegheny will also be competing in their first ever President's Athletic Conference Championship Match in just their third year in the conference. The Gators are the first team since Westminster in 2021 to finish undefeated in PAC play during the regular season. The Gators breezed past Westminster in the PAC Semifinals on Thursday night, defeating the Titans 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) to cruise into the PAC Championship match. Just like Saint Vincent, the Gators have a strong attack both offensively and defensively. Offensively, Allegheny is led by Dagney Javes and Angelee Bawek who both rank in the top three in the PAC in kills and in the top ten in hitting percentage. Javes ranks second in kills (391), while Bawek ranks third (390) and in hitting percentage Javes ranks second (.319) and Bawek ranks eighth (.217). Defensively, Allegheny is led by Jacy Diaz who ranks first in the conference in the digs with 652.
 
PREVIOUS MATCHUPS
The Bearcats and Gators last met about two and a half weeks ago where Allegheny earned a 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-16, 19-25, 13-25) over SVC. In that match for SVC, Staples-Klasnic and Fox led the way for the Bearcats with nine kills each, while Staples-Klasnic also recorded 17 digs and three service aces. Poach totaled 26 assists and 17 digs, while Ramos recorded 23 digs of her own in the loss for Saint Vincent. Allegheny won the opening set 25-23, before the Bearcats stormed back to win the second set 25-16. The Gators went on to win the final two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-13. Since joining the conference in 2022, Allegheny has won all three matchups against the Bearcats.