Penn State York Captures First Ever PSUAC Volleyball Championship
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State York finally crossed the finish line, capturing their first PSUAC Volleyball Championship on Tuesday night in Rec Hall on the University Park campus after years of falling just short. With a 3-1 (22-25, 25-9, 25-19, 25-13) over Penn State Shenango, head coach Keith Hartman and his team are now on top of the PSUAC.
Starting in 2021, York has made the semifinals in four of the last five years, including runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2023. The celebration after the final point showed those years of hard work and coming so close to a title. Now, the Lion statue and traveling trophy are theirs.
Kira Eisenberg led the way with a match-high 18 kills and teammate Joan Olson dished out 42 assists and added 14 digs for York. Four players notched double digit digs for York, including Gracie Reinhart's 19 and Mia Sigmon's 15. Skyla Wyatt also broke the barrier with 11.
Shenango came out on fire, capturing the first set 25-22, including jumping out to a 10-4 lead over the East's top seed. But Shenango had top seed chops to their name as well and punched first. Shenango led by as many as seven in the first, but York regained composure and battled back to tie the score at 21 and grabbing a brief lead at 22-21 on a Shenango attack error. But Taylor Burns put down two kills to put Shenango up for good at 23-22 and put down the final point of the set for the kill and a 1-0 set lead.
York had an answer in the second set on some lineup adjustments, pulling ahead 12-5. York gradually pushed ahead and won the set 25-9 to tie the match at one set apiece. York finished the set on a 6-0 run and scored nine of the last 10 points as Kira Eisenberg notched three kills during that final stretch.
The 25-19 score in set three was a bit deceiving as Shenango battled through it, but York took advantage of mistakes and pulled away after grabbing an early 5-4 lead. York scored the next four points before the teams traded winning rallies, before Shenango finally made a push with six straight points to tie the score at 16-16. After a York timeout, the eventual champs regained their composure to score four of the next five points and lead 20-17 as four different players recorded a kill during the run. York finished the set on a 5-2 run and put themselves one set away from the title.
The final set looked more like the second set as York imposed its will and jumped out to a 7-3 advantage. Shenango wouldn't go quietly, cutting the lead to 10-7 before a 6-0 York run put the set out of reach. Eisenberg added two late kills and served a final ace as her team rushed the floor to enjoy their spoils.
York outhit Shenango .245 to .120, but both teams were strong on defense as they recorded double digit blocks on the night. Shenango had 71 digs while York had 74, but York's service game was unmatched as they notched 12 aces, including match point.
Sigmon joined Eisenberg at the net with 15 kills of her own for the victors. Jadeyn Zepeda provided 32 assists for Shenango, with Savana Shipman leading her team with 15 kills in the loss. Shipman also led the way with 15 digs for Shenango, as Burns, Zepeda and Gabby Villanueva Santos all recorded 11. Jillian Palumbo was the fifth Shenango player with double digit digs with 12.
York's win advances them to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Volleyball National Championship tournament beginning November 6, 2025 at Penn State Fayette in Uniontown, Pa. York earned the PSUAC's automatic bid to the national tournament with their conference title win. Shenango awaits Wednesday's USCAA Volleyball Bid show in hopes of earning an at-large spot in the six-team field.