LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Nov. 10) – The California (PA) volleyball program collected a pair of weekly honors from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) on Monday afternoon, as freshman
Olivia Weiseman was chosen West Athlete of the Week and senior
Caroline Mercer was tabbed West Defensive Athlete of the Week.
Weiseman and Mercer helped the Vulcans earn home victories over Edinboro and Gannon in PSAC West play over the weekend. The Golden Knights previously won 15-straight matches in the series and entered Saturday undefeated in divisional action after already securing the top seed in the upcoming league tournament. Cal enters the final weekend of the regular season in a four-way tie for third place in the divisional standings – just one year removed from finishing winless in league play.
Weiseman averaged 4.00 kills, 4.12 assists, 2.75 digs, 1.12 digs and 4.56 points per set in while recording a pair of triple-doubles. She became the program's first player since Kelly Fromknecht in 2012 to post a triple-double – and she accomplished the feat in consecutive matches. On Friday, Weiseman finished with 14 kills, 14 assists, 11 digs and four blocks in a 3-1 victory against Edinboro. The Ohio native then totaled 18 kills, 19 assists, 11 digs and five blocks in a 3-1 win over Gannon on Saturday.
A 5-foot-10 freshman, Weiseman ranks among the top 10 in the league with 3.20 kills per set while sitting fourth with 336 total kills, already the most by a Cal player since 2018. She also sits among the top 15 in the PSAC with 3.69 digs and 3.63 points per set. Weiseman has recorded 16 double-doubles and is one of only two players in the league with multiple tripled-doubles this year.
Mercer recorded a pair of dig/assist double-doubles from the libero position while averaging 5.88 digs and 2.75 assists per set over eight sets. She tallied 26 digs and 12 assists in the win on Friday over Edinboro. The following day, the Ohio native posted 21 digs and 10 assists against defending-regional champion Gannon.
Mercer sits seventh in the league with 4.38 digs per set and ranks fifth with 460 total digs, both career highs. She has already collected the most digs by a Cal player since Jensen Silbaugh eclipsed the 500-dig mark in back-to-back seasons in 2018 and 2019. Mercer has registered at least 20 digs in eight matches this fall, including five times over the last seven matches.
Weiseman and Mercer both earned their respective award for the second time this season with Weiseman previously capturing the accolade in September and Mercer receiving the honor in back-to-back weeks.
The Vulcans close out their seven-match homestand on Friday, Nov. 14, by facing IUP on Senior Day at 6 p.m. Cal finishes the regular season the following day, Saturday, Nov. 15, with a match at Pitt-Johnstown. The Vulcans trail the Crimson Hawks by one match in the league standings, while Cal and UPJ are two of the four teams tied for third place.
