PSAC Tournament Quarterfinals
#3W Clarion Golden Eagles (19-8, 10-4 PSAC West) at #2E Lock Haven Bald Eagles (20-6, 12-2 PSAC East)
Wednesday, Nov. 11 // 6:00 PM
Lock Haven, Pa. // Thomas Fieldhouse
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The Golden Eagle volleyball team returns to the postseason in 2026 on Wednesday evening when Clarion takes on Lock Haven in the quarterfinal round of the PSAC Volleyball Tournament.
 
Once regular opponents, the Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles have not played each other since the 2021 season, when the Bald Eagles came to the one of two invitationals hosted by Clarion to start the season. The last time the teams met at Thomas Fieldhouse was October 5, 2019, during the PSAC's brief four-division period. Clarion beat LHU 3-0 in that match. The Golden Eagles have won 10 straight meetings with Lock Haven, with the last loss coming on Nov. 17, 2011.
 
The match carries postseason implications for the conference tournament and beyond. In the short term, the winner will advance to the PSAC Tournament semifinal, which will be hosted by the highest remaining seed in the West this weekend. In the long term, both the Golden Eagles and Bald Eagles are jockeying for position in the Atlantic Region rankings. Lock Haven currently sits in sixth place in the NPI while Clarion ranks seventh. The NPI will be used to determine which teams will reach the Atlantic Region Tournament, with automatic bids for the conference champions in the PSAC, the Mountain East and the CIAA and five at-large selections.
 
The 2026 season has been the best in recent memory for Lock Haven, with their 20 wins the most they've had in a single season since 21 wins in 2015. Lock Haven carries a five-match winning streak into the PSAC quarterfinal against Clarion and has won nine in a row inside the confines of Thomas Fieldhouse.
 
Clarion, meanwhile, returns to the conference tournament in 2026 after missing the postseason in 2025. The Golden Eagles turned things around largely by becoming one of the top blocking teams in the nation, ranking second in the country with an average of 2.74 blocks per set. Three of the PSAC's top seven blockers are Golden Eagles, with Cara Vandeborne leading the conference at 1.38 blocks per set, Finley Kearney ranking fifth at 1.05 and Emily Klopp seventh at 0.98.
 
Offensively the Golden Eagles have been balanced, with Raegan Stader (2.77 kills/set) and Taylor Haupt (2.75 kills/set) the leading attackers. Kearney, meanwhile, has been the team's most efficient hitter, ranking eighth in the conference with a .302 attack percentage.