Volleyball Finishes Second in LEC Tournament

The PSU Women’s Volleyball team ended their season with a 0-3 loss to top-seeded UMass Boston in the Little East Conference Championship on Saturday, November 5th. This was the team’s first LEC Championship appearance since the 2011 season, and the Panthers finished the year with a 20-11 record.

Against UMass, senior Dani Tabor (Seattle, WA) and junior Claire Sporer (Medford, Ore.) led the team offensively, posting seven kills and six kills, respectively. Senior Mikki Taffe (Sandown, N.H.) added five kills, and classmates Kayla Wyland (Melrose, Mass.) and Brianna Wojtas (Salem, N.H.) contributed with four kills and three kills apiece. Wojtas also led the team in service aces, connecting three during the match. Junior Megan Bailey (Canterbury, N.H.) helped coordinate gameplay, posting 21 assists. The Panthers put up a fight on defense as Junior Iibero Brenna Peruch (Cave Creek, A.Z.) led with 13 digs. Seniors Hannah Hyatt (Andover, Conn.) and Rachel Morrissey (Salem, N.H.) followed with nine digs and seven digs, respectively. Plymouth’s defensive efforts ultimately were not enough, and PSU fell to UMass Boston 0-3.

In post-season accolades, Tabor and Peruch were selected for the 2016 All-LEC Second Team. Tabor was recognized for the second year in a row, averaging 2.39 kills per set and a .231 attack percentage. She racked up double-digits in kills in four games this season, contributing to her season total of 213 kills overall. The selection marks Peruch’s first all-conference recognition. She ranked fourth in the LEC this season in digs per set, averaging 4.21. Peruch recorded double-digits in digs in all but five games this season, including seven games in which she had at least 20 digs per match, bringing her to 446 digs for the season overall.

Wojtas was also honored for her efforts this season, as she was selected to compete in the New England Women’s Volleyball Association (NEWVA) Senior Classic. In her senior season, Wojtas, a two- year captain, reached career-highs in kills (250), average kills per set (2.14), attack percentage (.264), service aces (35), and digs (56). She also led the Panthers with 64 blocks on the season. Wojtas chalked up 185 total blocks and a 0.52 blocks per set average during her career, which puts her at ninth all-time for both categories in the PSU Women’s Volleyball record books. She also finishes with a career-total of 638 kills, putting her just short of the top-10 in program history.

The Panthers will graduate six seniors this year: Tabor, Wojtas, Taffe, Wyland, Morrissey, and Hyatt. Wojtas will compete in the NEWVA Senior Classic on December 4th at 11:00am, at Tufts University.