CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle volleyball team hosted their first PSAC Tournament match in Tippin Gymnasium in seven years and made the most of the opportunity, sweeping IUP 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-17) in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday evening. Clarion (25-3) will move on to face Shepherd in the semifinal round on Saturday, November 12 in a match played at Gannon.
 
Clarion dominated for long stretches of Wednesday's match, controlling the action and never allowing the Crimson Hawks to truly threaten late in any of the sets. The Golden Eagles hit .333 as a team while holding IUP to just a .126 attack percentage, enjoying a massive 11-4 advantage in team blocks.
 
Lauren Aichinger was omnipresent on offense and defense, finishing with seven kill on eight attempts with just one error for an .875 attack percentage. She also contributed a match-high seven blocks, including stretches in the first two sets where the Golden Eagles went on long offensive runs.
 
Julia Piccolino and Cassidy Snider each tied for the match high with 11 kills apiece, while London Fuller dished out 30 assists and a team-high nine digs.
 
Clarion leaped out to a 13-5 lead in the first set, thanks largely to a 7-0 run where Hailey Barden held serve for six straight points. Barden recorded two aces and Aichinger contributed to two blocks, and the advantage eventually reached 14-6 after Aichinger and Piccolino combined to block Caroline Walsh. Clarion won the race to 20 points when Aichinger and Piccolino again blocked Walsh at 20-12, and Snider finished off the set shortly thereafter with a kill at 25-19.
 
The second set had more dramatic moments than the first, especially late in the frame, but the Golden Eagles were ultimately able to hold on to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Clarion racked up a 20-11 lead at one point before the Crimson Hawks chipped away, pulling first to within 23-16 and later as close as 24-21. Alyson Peters ended the set with a kill one point later, though, giving the Golden Eagles the significant lead in the match. IUP made it interesting in the third set, getting as close as 16-13 before Clarion pulled away. Aichinger bounced a kill to make it 17-13, and Snider sparked a 3-0 run with kills on back-to-back points, with Peters punctuating it with a block. Piccolino bounced a kill on match point for the win.
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