No. 8 Women’s Volleyball Hosts Indiana (Pa.), Tuesday 7 p.m.
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The No. 8 Juniata College women’s volleyball team will face NCAA Division II opponent Indiana University (Pa.) (IUP) this Tuesday, Sept. 24th, at 7 p.m. on the Memorial Gymnasium court. The Eagles are off to a 12-0 start this year, with upset wins over the No. 10 and No. 6 teams. Juniata comes into the match after defeating No. 16 Eastern University last Saturday 3-1 (26-28, 26-24, 25-15, 25-22).
By: Laura Chapman
Assistant Sports Information Director
chapmal@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: Jennifer Jones
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The No. 8 Juniata College women's volleyball team will face NCAA Division II opponent Indiana University (Pa.) (IUP) this Tuesday, Sept. 24th, at 7 p.m. on the Memorial Gymnasium court. The Eagles are off to a 12-0 start this year, with upset wins over the No. 10 and No. 6 teams. Juniata comes into the match after defeating No. 16 Eastern University last Saturday 3-1 (26-28, 26-24, 25-15, 25-22).
Junior standout Amelia Kepler (Kane, Pa./Kane Area) leads the team with 138 kills and is averaging 3.86 kills per set. She has earned Landmark Conference player of the week honors twice this year, after the first and third weeks of play. Kepler was named ASICS Invitational most valuable player (MVP), while junior libero Brittani Young (Columbia, Pa./Hempfield Area) was named defensive MVP. Young currently leads the team with 181 digs and a team high 4.18 digs per set. Senior outside hitter Amy Miller (Chesapeak, Va./Western Branch) and freshman middle hitter Nakita Gearhart (Waynesboro, Pa./Greencastle-Antrim) both garnered all-tournament accolades for their performances during the ASICS Invitational.
Through twelve matches this year, Miller is driving the dangerous Juniata service attack with 18 aces. The Eagles as a team have 87 aces on the year. Junior middle hitter Christine Sumner (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) is hitting at a team leading .415 attack percentage with a team high .73 blocks per set.
The Crimson Hawks enter the bout with Juniata on a three-match winning streak after losing the first seven contest of the season. IUP returns a strong core from last year's team that finished 20-12, but lost its top hitter and number one setter. The Hawks are carrying a team .122 attack percentage and averaging 10.3 kills per set. Junior middle hitter Elizabeth Sova leads the team in kills per set (2.89), attack percentage (.396), total kills (101), total blocks (28), and blocks per set (.80). The defense for the Hawks, led by senior libero Kelly Barnes, is averaging 13.6 digs per set and 1.5 blocks per set. IUP has two setters in the mix, junior Carissa Miara and Lindsay Moeller, averaging 5.22 and 4.77 assists per set respectively.
Juniata holds a commanding lead in the historical match up between the two teams at 25-4. However, IUP handed the Eagles their seventh loss of the 2012 season, 3-2 (19-25, 26-28, 25-10, 25-23, 15-12). In the contest, the Hawks were led by now sophomore Lisa Kissel, with 15 kills, and now junior Lauren Hester, with 12 kills. Senior outside hitter Rachelle Wiegand (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) paced the Eagles with 16 kills and Young led the Juniata defense with 28 digs in the 2012 matchup.
Juniata next goes on the road to the Christopher Newport Invite in Newport News, Va., September 27-28. The Eagles first face No. 17 Christopher Newport University, followed by No. 19 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and finish up the weekend against the University of Scranton in a non-conference contest.
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