Hazleton captures Eastern Division Crown with win at York

York, Pa. - The Nittany Lions secured their first PSUAC Eastern Division title in 20 years on Wednesday with a five set victory over Penn State York. After topping York on their home court, Hazleton needed a win on Wednesday to move to 9-1 in the PSUAC East, leaving them atop the standings as the squad heads into the post-season with the number one seed in the division. 

Hazleton battled through some early errors on Wednesday. The Lions were stricken with 15 miscues at the net in set one, leading to a 25-19 win for York. Hazleton continued to struggle in set two, racking up 13 hitting errors in the frame, but the Lions worked through the miss-hits and eventually found success. The Lions totaled 31 kills in sets two and three to pull ahead of York and take a 2-1 advantage into set number four. York battled right back to square the match at 2-2 however it was all Hazleton in set the crucial fifth set, where the Lions dominated play to earn a 15-6 win. 

Third year player Sydney Mack was tremendous in this one. Mack totaled 25 kills, the third time this season she has totaled 25 or more kills. First year Claire Riera-Gomez impressed as well, notching her second highest scoring output of the season with 11 kills while second year hitter Kaytlin Kelley registered eight kills in the win. Second year setter Sophia Del Vacchio notched 48 assists in the win, nearly eclipsing her season high of 50 dimes in an overall outstanding effort for Hazleton. 

Now in the driver's seat, Hazleton will host Penn State Schuylkill in a PSUAC quarterfinal match on their home court on Thursday, October 24. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m as the Lions look to punch their ticket to Rec Hall for the second straight season.