Clarion (25-3, 14-2 PSAC West) vs. Shepherd Rams (21-6, 12-2 PSAC East)
Saturday, Noevember 12 // 1 p.m.
Erie, Pa. // Highmark Events Center (Gannon)

ERIE, Pa. --- If the Golden Eagle volleyball team is to defend their PSAC Tournament title this weekend, they will have to turn some of the same tricks they did a year ago, starting with their PSAC Tournament semifinal match against Shepherd on Saturday, November 12.
 
A year ago, Clarion went on the road to face off with East Stroudsburg, the top seed in the PSAC East division, on their home court in Koehler Fieldhouse. The Golden Eagles won't have to play a true road match in this year's semifinal bout, but the general gist is the same: beat the team atop the standings of the conference's Eastern division.
 
Shepherd comes into this match with a 21-6 overall record, with the Rams going 12-2 in PSAC East play. Similar to the Golden Eagles, they are coming off a 3-0 win in their conference quarterfinal match, beating West Chester in straight sets at home to earn their spot in the final four.
 
The Rams boast two of the top players in the PSAC East Division, with senior outside hitter Mikaylah Hoy earning PSAC East Athlete of the Year and redshirt sophomore libero Claire Ellis earning PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year honors. Hoy averaged 3.29 kills per set and also totaled 226 digs on the year, while Ellis averaged 4.02 digs per set. She also ranked second in the PSAC with an average of 0.58 aces per set. Additionally, head coach Alex Hoekstra earned PSAC East Coach of the Year honors and currently has the Rams on a 13-match win streak.
 
Of course, the Golden Eagles have some star power of their own, including their own divisional player of the year. Setter London Fuller added a PSAC West Athlete of the Year trophy to her mantle after directing the Clarion offense to among the very best in the nation, while Cassidy Snider (First Team), Julia Piccolino (First Team) and Lauren Aichinger (Second Team) all earned all-conference honors.
 
Clarion is coming off a 3-0 win on Wednesday against IUP, having swept the Crimson Hawks in Tippin Gym thanks to a balanced, explosive offensive attack.
 
The Golden Eagles and Rams have not played one another all that often over recent years, with only four meetings between the teams in the last 14 years. Shepherd won the most recent meeting, a 3-0 sweep at Clarion's Student Recreation Center that was dominated by the Rams. Hoy was a member of that Shepherd team, though she played sparingly in that match; likewise, of the six current Golden Eagles to play in that match three years ago, Aichinger is the only one to play extensive time.
 
For what it's worth the Golden Eagles have wins in each of the other three meetings with Shepherd, including both matches contested on neutral courts. Clarion beat Shepherd 3-1 in the 2010 season in a match held at IUP, in a season that ultimately resulted in the Golden Eagles winning a PSAC title.