Volleyball 11/14/2018 3:33:00 PM

Volleyball Gets Set for Atlantic Regional

2018 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regionals
Nov. 15-17, 2018
Wheeling Jesuit University // Wheeling, WV

Tournament Central

Ticket Information
Three-Day Pass: $25
Adults: $10
Students/Senior Citizens (65 & older): $5

First Round: #5 Clarion vs. #4 Shippensburg
Nov. 15 // 5 p.m.
Watch Online // Live Stats

Preview

Clarion returns to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year absence when they compete at the 2018 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional hosted by Wheeling Jesuit. The Golden Eagles last played in the NCAA Tournament at the same location in 2015, when they advanced to the regional semifinal before falling to top-seeded Wheeling Jesuit. This year Clarion opens the tournament with a familiar foe in fourth-seeded Shippensburg.
- In the previous meeting this season, Shippensburg defeated Clarion 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-15) on Sept. 15 in a match played at Clarion's Student Recreation Center. Megan DeFloria led the Raiders with 15 kills while no Golden Eagle player finished with more than eight on the afternoon.

Thus far, Clarion is well-represented as far as postseason honors are concerned, with four Golden Eagles earning All-PSAC recognition and two earning D2CCA All-Atlantic Region nods.
- Sophomore libero Chrissy Cotton was named the PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year, Second Team All-PSAC and Second Team All-Region after a stellar regular season where she ranked among the nation's leaders in digs and digs per set. She enters the tournament averaging 6.36 digs per set and totaling 738 digs. Cotton is the third player in program history to win the conference's top defensive player honor, joining Morgan Seybold (2014) and Rhianon Brady (2011).
- Senior middle blocker Olivia Olson was named a Second Team All-PSAC and Second Team All-Region selection, cementing her status as one of the best blockers in the PSAC while also contributing on offense. She ranks second in the league in blocks per set at 1.16 and has a career-high of 134 total blocks entering this weekend. She has also gotten it done offensively this year as well, setting career-highs in kills (282) and hitting percentage (.247). She has logged 111 or more blocks in each of the last three seasons.
- In addition, junior outside hitter Julia Holden was named a First Team All-PSAC performer and ranks among the conference's leaders in kills and kills per set, while senior setter Leah Vensel earned Third Team All-PSAC honors after setting the Golden Eagles to one of the top kills totals in the conference.

The Golden Eagles enter with a 22-11 overall record, their best regular season mark since winning 22 matches in 2015, and their 12-6 conference record is their best since a 15-7 mark in that same year.
- This is the ninth 20-win season in 12 attempts for head coach Jennifer Herron, and the ninth NCAA Tournament appearance her team has made during her tenure.
  - Herron is a three-time PSAC West Coach of the Year and a two-time AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, and needs just 23 more wins to reach 300 at Clarion.

Despite the long period between NCAA Tournaments, the Golden Eagles still have a few players on the roster from the previous trip to the Big Dance. Marissa Robertson, Olivia Olson, Lauryn Driscoll and Leah Vensel were all freshmen on Clarion's NCAA Tournament roster.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Rhianon Brady: L/DS; 5' 6"; Senior

#16 Chrissy Cotton: L/DS; 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore

#7 Lauryn Driscoll: MH; 6' 0"; Senior

#13 Julia Holden: OH; 6' 0"; Junior

#10 Olivia Olson: MH; 6' 2"; Senior

#4 Marissa Robertson: OH; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

#15 Leah Vensel: S; 5' 6"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#2 Rhianon Brady
: 5' 6"; Senior
: L/DS

#16 Chrissy Cotton
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Sophomore
: L/DS

#7 Lauryn Driscoll
: 6' 0"; Senior
: MH

#13 Julia Holden
: 6' 0"; Junior
: OH

#10 Olivia Olson
: 6' 2"; Senior
: MH

#4 Marissa Robertson
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: OH

#15 Leah Vensel
: 5' 6"; Senior
: S