Shippensburg enters the 2014 season coming off its second consecutive NCAA Tournament berth (third overall) and an appearance in the PSAC semifinals. The Raiders went 29-10 in 2013 and won the PSAC Eastern Division regular season championship.
The team was voted second in the 2014 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Monday afternoon by the league office.
SU does not have a true senior on the 2014 roster (Casey Hawbaker is a senior academically but a sophomore athletically) yet returns 10 players from last year’s squad. The Raiders will be without the services of PSAC East Player of the Year Jill Edwards, who has graduated after her historic four-year run with the team.
Three of SU’s four All-PSAC players from last year are back, however, as the Raiders will seek their eighth consecutive appearance in the conference tournament. Junior blockers Faith Athey (Gettysburg/Delone Catholic) and Taylor Gottshall (Allentown/Central Catholic), along with sophomore setter Maura Nolan (Wexford/North Allegheny), figure to make a strong middle for the Raiders this season.
Back-to-back reigning PSAC East Coach of the Year Leanne Piscotty returns for her 11th season at the helm of the SU volleyball team. Piscotty has guided Shippensburg to six PSAC semifinals appearances in 10 years.
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