Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University volleyball team played even with longtime nemesis California (Pa.) through the first two sets of its Friday night PSAC semifinal but could not hold off the Vulcans down the stretch, dropping a 3-1 decision in Heiges Field House by set scores of 17-25, 25-19, 18-25 and 13-25.

Shippensburg (28-9) dropped just its second match at home this season despite totaling 14 blocks – its second-best total in a match this season – and will now await Monday night's selection show (7:30 p.m.) to see its fate for the NCAA Championships. SU entered the match ranked No. 5 in the Atlantic Region (Top 8 qualify).

California (28-7) got double-doubles from Laurel Miller (16 kills, 15 digs) and Molly Delaney (11 kills, 13 digs) and limited the Raiders to a .053 hitting percentage – SU's lowest efficiency of the season.

The two teams were a bit sloppy on the serve, combining for 24 errors on the evening. Cal served seven aces while SU, the conference's leader in service aces entering the match, managed just four against the Vulcans.

Senior Jill Edwards posted another double-double for Shippensburg, leading the Raiders with 14 kills and 16 digs while hitting .225. Through 139 career matches, Edwards has amassed 2,037 kills – including a conference-best 538 this season. That tally is 29 shy of her own school record set in 2011.

Sophomore Faith Athey was one of SU's primary contributors on the block. In addition to five kills, Athey added four solo blocks and four block assists. Sophomore Taylor Gottshall provided two solo blocks and four block assists. Both Gottshall (116) and Athey (115) are within striking distance of the SU single-season school record of 118 block assists set by Libby Woffindin in 2010.

After dropping the opening set, SU rallied to take the second set. After a Laurel Miller attack error made it 16-15 in SU's favor, the Raiders scored four straight points on Gottshall's serve and closed with five of the final eight points of the second set.

Shippensburg made its sixth appearance in the PSAC Semifinals in the last 10 years under head coach Leanne Piscotty. The Vulcans have now won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, including both in 2013.

Cal will face UPJ at 2 p.m. Saturday. For the first time, the PSAC Volleyball Championship match will be broadcast live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN). The broadcast will be handled by the students of Shippensburg University Television (SUTV) and uplinked to PCN for airing.