Volleyball team strives to win PSAC championship

The Edinboro volleyball team that has started off strong, coached by Missy Soboleski and assisted by Jimmy Chan, Jason Zboyski, Chuck Schultz and Johaun McGuire.

The team returned all players from last year, and added a junior transfer from North Alabama, outside hitter Beyaca Martin, as they look to win the PSAC championship this year.

"We all have high hopes for this season, everyone wants to win,"?said Olivia Williams. "There's a great deal of talent on this team and when we all put our best foot forward we're hard to stop.

"Coaches have set the bar high, and its up to us (players) to soar past it."

The team, which was picked second in the PSAC West preseason poll, started off its quest in the Fairmont State Falcon Fest Tournament and won the first three games.

The team then traveled to the Shippensburg tournament, where yet again they went undefeated at 4-0, making their overall record 7-0.

However, the team hit a little bump in the road when they traveled to Warrensburg Mo., to play in the Central Missouri Peggy Martin Challenge, where they couldn't get anything going, and dropped all four games. In those four they lost to eighth-ranked Central Missouri, then to third-ranked Emporia State.

"I think the team has done a pretty good job this year," said sophomore setter Megan Osysko. "We have had some tough losses, but we are bouncing back and playing really well together.

"We need to start focusing all throughout our games and make sure we take care of our side of the court. If we do the small things correctly, there is no reason we should not be champions this season."

After they finished up with the tournament and returned home for the first time this year, they took on Daemen on Sept. 16 and beat them in straight sets.

But it was right back on the road after that as the Fighting Scots played in the PSAC crossover, at Mercyhurst, and beat the likes of West Chester, Kutztown and Cheyney, all in straight sets. This improved their record to 11-4.

The road trip wasn't done for the Fighting Scots as they went to face a familiar foe in Indiana University of Pennsylvania and came away with a three games to two win. But the five-game winning streak came to a halt, as California(PA) and Mercyhurst both beat the Fighting Scots.

No matter, though, as the Fighting Scots again returned home on Oct. 2 and won a hard fought battle with another PSAC West team, the Gannon Golden Knights.

They would next go back on the road and play in another PSAC Crossover Tournament, which was held in two places, Millersville and Shippensburg. The Fighting Scots started out in Millersville on Oct. 9 and won both games, beating Millersville three games to one, then later that same day beating East Stroudsburg in straight sets.

The next day the Fighting Scots, played in the other destination, Shippensburg, beating Shippensburg in three sets, but losing to Lock Haven that same day.

They would also lose to Wheeling Jesuit at Wheeling West Virginia. "We have really stuck together as a team. We work very hard in practice and do our best to apply it in each game," said Brittany Slauterbeck.

"To win the championship this year, we have play up to our potential and keep on improving for these last few games. We have to keep focusing on the basics and taking care of our side of the court."

The Fighting Scots returned home on Oct. 16, to face a PSAC West team in Slippery Rock University. Even though they had a hard fought battle they prevailed in straight sets, 25-19, 31-29, and 25-19.

With the win the Fighting Scots improved to 17-8 and 9-3 in the PSAC West.

Edinboro got off to a good start against The Rock, as they went up 8-3 early in the first set, but the opponent fought back to make the score 10-8. The Fighting Scots were able to go on a run and extend their lead to 22-12 before winning.

In the second set, the score was tied at 17 with both teams trading points for a while until the Fighting Scots put them away at 31-29 for a 2-0 game lead.

Out of the 10-minute intermission, Ellie Lininger said, "We really try to keep our focus even though it's a little hard when we take that break.

"We go into the third game not expecting to have the match handed to us, but to earn it and not let up."

The Scots started the third set slowly as they found themselves down 0-5. Out of a timeout they were able to tie the game at five apiece. The teams would yet again trade points until it was tied at 10-10.

At 10-10 Ellie Lininger said, "We try to focus on gaining points in groups of three, focus on controlling our side of the net better than the other team. And it worked out great." The Fighting Scots went on a 14-9 run to put them away and seal the victory.

Senior middle-hitter Olivia Williams, sophomore outside-hitter Gina Boothe and sophomore outside-hitter Angela Groshner led the Scots in kills. Williams recorded 16 kills, and a pair of block assists, Boothe had 12 kills and seven digs, while Groshner chipped in with 11 kills.

Junior Maureen Tilert led the way with 19 digs and a service ace, while sophomore setter Megan Osysko was accredited with 43 assists and seven digs. Also sophomore outside-hitter Ellie Lininger had five kills, two service aces and was second on the team with nine digs.

On Oct. 17 the volleyball team was back in action as they took on Clarion, and beat them in straight sets of 30-28, 25-17 and 28-26, picking up a crucial PSAC West victory.

The Fighting Scots improved to 18-8 and 10-3 in the PSAC West.

In the first set each team traded points for the majority of it with neither team able to get ahead. Edinboro found a way to put the hard fought set away for a 1-0 lead.

"The big difference among the first and second match was ball control. Controlling the first pass gives our offense more opportunities to score," said Olivia Williams.