CLARION, Pa. - The old adage says that it is difficult to beat a team three times in the same season. The Golden Eagle volleyball team will attempt to show that particular old saw has sharp teeth on Tuesday, when Clarion heads to Edinboro for the opening round of the PSAC Tournament. The first serve at McComb Fieldhouse is slated for 6 p.m.
 
Clarion enters the tournament as the third seed in the PSAC West division with an 11-5 record against their conference foes. Two of those losses came to the Fighting Scots, who earned a share of the PSAC West title with a 13-3 conference mark. Edinboro holds the second seed by virtue of Gannon's tiebreaker with them.
 
In the first meeting between the teams, Edinboro won what could be perhaps described as a deceptive 3-0 sweep. None of the three sets were decided by more than three points as the Fighting Scots took a 25-22, 30-28, 25-22 decision at Tippin Gymnasium. The rematch was more lopsided in Edinboro's favor, as they defeated Clarion 25-18, 26-24, 25-18 in McComb Fieldhouse.
 
Where Clarion has had more recent success against Edinboro has been in the postseason. Indeed, while the Golden Eagles have struggled with the Fighting Scots over recent years, Clarion got the better of them the last time they met a third time in a season. Edinboro won both regular season meetings during the 2015 season, but the Golden Eagles were victorious in the opening round of the NCAA Atlantic Regional tournament in Wheeling, W.Va., beating the Fighting Scots 3-1.
 
The Golden Eagles boast one of the top offensive attacks in the conference, having led the conference with a .228 attack percentage and a 13.54 kills per set average in conference matches. Defensively, they were also among the conference's best in preventing the other team from scoring, allowing a conference-low 9.93 kills per set in PSAC action. Cassidy Snider was the only player in the PSAC to average better than 4.00 kills per set, both in the overall season and in conference play, and Julia Piccolino ranked third in the conference with a 3.50 kills per set average. Those two benefitted from the play of setter London Fuller, who led the PSAC in assists.