Franca at Net
David Hague, SAI Photographer
Cal U tied a single-season school record with its 36th victory on Friday night.

Volleyball

No. 16 Vulcans earn spot in title game

Box Score

CALIFORNIA (Nov. 14) – The No. 16 Vulcans tied a school record with their 36th win and advanced to the championship match of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament with a 3-0 victory against Shippensburg University in the semifinal round of the tournament on Friday.

The California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team posted its 20th-consecutive victory to improve to 36-1 this season. The 36 wins by the Vulcans in 2008 ties the 1992 squad (36-3) for the most wins in a season. Meanwhile, the Raiders fall to 22-16.

In the victory, junior libero Marta Hodge (Fayetteville, Pa./Chambersburg) led all players with 21 digs to establish a new single-season school record with 688 digs. She previously set the record last season with 681 and now features three of top 10 single-season dig totals in Vulcan history. Hodge, a first-team academic all-district selection, is only 14 digs shy of breaking the career record of 1,821 set by Katie Barker (2002-05).

Defensive specialists Mallory DeMarco (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) and Julie Paronish (Hastings, Pa./Northern Cambria) finished with 12 and 11 digs, respectively.

Junior outside hitter Joanna Nist (Rockwood, Pa./Rockwood) finished with 11 kills and five digs, while senior middle hitter Thais Franca (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Padre Manoel De Paiva) added 10 kills.

Junior setter Renata Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Colegio Ateneu) nearly registered a double-double, finishing with 34 assists and nine digs.

For the third time in the last four years, Cal U will face Lock Haven University in the PSAC Championship Match. The Vulcans and Bald Eagles conclude the conference tournament tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 15, in Hamer Hall at 7 p.m.

Fans can watch the PSAC Championship Match live via pay-per-view access on B2 Networks.
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