MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny volleyball team swept Saint Vincent to capture the 2024 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Saturday night (Nov. 16) in Meadville.
The win gives the Gators an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Volleyball Championships. It marks their first PAC Championship since rejoining the conference in 2022, and their first conference title since they won the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in 1991.
Allegheny captured the sets 25-14, 25-22, 25-21.
The Gators got out to a fast start in the opening set, amassing an 11-5 lead before the Bearcats called timeout. The Allegheny advantage stayed steady throughout the set as they developed their lead before taking the set 25-14.
The Bearcats had an early lead in the second set before the Gators put together a 6-0 run off of serves by
Alejandra Fernandez (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Commonwealth Parkville) to move ahead, 8-4. Allegheny led by as much as 10 before Saint Vincent fought back to tie the set at 20. Knotted at 23, an ace by
Dagney Javes (Frederick, Colo./Dawson School) gave the Gators a set point. After a Saint Vincent timeout, an attack error gave Allegheny the set, 25-22.
After some back-and-forth to start the third set, a 3-0 Saint Vincent run gave them a 9-6 lead. Following a timeout, the Gators battled back with a 10-1 run to take the lead 16-10. The Bearcats fought back to make it a one point set late. Leading 22-21, an attack error followed by an ace by Javes set-up the championship point for the Gators. A kill by
Angelee Bawek (Goodyear, Ariz./Estrella Foothills) on the ensuing point put the exclamation point on the match for the Gators as they captured their first PAC Championship.
Inside the Box
- Bawek had a game-high 20 kills with a career-high 21 digs.
- Javes had 11 kills, a career-high six aces and three blocks, two of which were solo.
- Carly Beers (Warren, Pa./Warren) finished with eight kills.
- Carlee Pepperman (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area) had seven digs with three kills.
- Meagan Robare (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) had a team-high 24 assists while Izzy Gray (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) had 15 assists and 10 digs.
- Jacy Diaz (Barranquitas, Puerto Rico/Gallatin (Tenn.)) registered 22 digs while Fernandez had 13.
News and Notes
- Bawek was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
- Diaz and Robare joined Bawek on the All-Tournament Team.
- This marks volleyball's first conference championship since 1991, and their first in the PAC.
- The Gators ended the regular season with a 26-5 record, their most wins since 2003, winning their final 11 contests.
- The volleyball team joins the Allegheny women's tennis and cross country teams in winning PAC titles this fall.
Up Next
The Gators will find out who they will face in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Monday (Nov. 18).
