WHEELING, W.Va. (Nov. 15) – The sixth-seeded California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 loss (25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 25-12) to third-seeded Seton Hill on Thursday afternoon.
 
With the loss, the Vulcans conclude the season with a 20-13 overall record. Cal U has posted six 20-win campaigns in eight years under head coach Peter Letourneau. Meanwhile, Seton Hill extends its winning streak to 12-straight matches and improves to 25-8 this season and advances to face the winner of No. 2 Gannon-No. 7 Shepherd in the second round tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 16.
 
Junior Rachel Priore (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) totaled 15 kills on a .239 hitting percentage and added eight digs, while sophomore Maddie McGee (New Concord, Ohio/John Glenn) recorded 13 kills against the Griffins. Seniors Lois van Schaik (Naarden, Netherlands/St. Vituscollege) and Emily Bucklin (Marysville, Ohio/Marysville) both registered seven kills while in West Virginia. Freshman Sarah Benson (Canton, Ohio/Jackson) guided the offense with 40 assists and totaled 12 digs to finish the season with 13 assist/dig double-doubles. She concluded the year ninth in single-season school history with 1,204 assists, which are the most since 2009.
 
Sophomore Jensen Silbaugh (Warren, Ohio/Lakeview) notched her ninth match with at least 20 digs after recording 24 digs against Seton Hill. She finished the year sixth in single-season school history with 542 digs. Benson posted double-digit digs, while Priore added eight digs in the match. Senior Tina Bellhy (McDonald,Pa./Fort Cherry) controlled the net with seven blocks and Priore tallied three blocks in the losing effort.
 
Both teams hit over a .250 clip in the first set, as the Griffins claimed the opening set by a 25-21 margin. The match was tied five times in the early portion of the contest before Seton Hill established a 6-1 run to take an 11-6 advantage. Cal U responded by scoring four of the next six points to cut the deficit to 13-10 following three kills from Priore. The Griffins extended the lead with a 5-3 run before the Vulcans countered with three-straight points to close the gap to 18-16. Both teams exchanged the next four points before Seton Hill tallied five of the next eight points to seal the first set, 25-21
 
Cal U built an early 3-0 lead in the second set before Seton Hill tied the match at 5-5 after scoring five of the next seven points. The Vulcans remained ahead with an 11-9 advantage before the Griffins totaled four-consecutive points to take a 13-11 lead. Proire snapped the run with a kill before Seton Hill countered with three-unanswered points to hold a 16-12 advantage. Both teams would trade the next eight points before the Vulcans registered back-to-back points to cut the deficit to 20-18. The Griffins answered with five of the next seven points to take the second set by a 25-20 count.
 
In the third set, Seton Hill built a 5-2 lead before Cal U tallied three of the next five points to close the gap to 7-5. The Griffins responded with consecutive points before the Vulcans answered with four-unanswered points to tie the match at 9-9. The match would be tied at 11-11 until Cal U mounted an 8-0 run to take an 18-11 advantage. Both teams exchanged the next four points before Seton Hill tallied four-consecutive points to trim the deficit to 20-17. After trading the next four points, the Vulcans totaled three-straight points, including two kills from Priore, to take the third set, 25-19.  
 
The Griffins completed the match victory with a 25-12 victory in the fourth set after posting a staggering .467 hitting percentage. Cal U took an early 6-4 lead before Seton Hill recorded three-straight points to take a 7-6 advantage. Both teams traded the next four points before an 8-2 run from the Griffins extended the lead to 17-9. Seton Hill continued by scoring six of the next nine points and sealed the match victory with consecutive kills to win the set by a 25-12 margin.