#4 Edinboro Fighting Scots (31-6, 18-4 PSAC West) vs. #5 Clarion Golden Eagles (21-16, 15-7 PSAC West)
DATE: Thursday, December 3, 2015
TIME: 5:00 p.m.
LOCATION: McDonough Center
CITY: Wheeling, WV
LIVE STATS: http://www.sidearmstats.com/wju/wvball/
 Thursday, December 3
Game 1 = #3 Shippensburg vs. #6 Gannon at 12 p.m.
 
Game 2 = #2 Pitt-Johnstown vs. #7 West Chester at 2:30 p.m.
 
Game 3 = #4 Edinboro vs. #5 Clarion at 5 p.m.
 
Game 4 = #1 Wheeling Jesuit vs. #8 Winston-Salem
 
Friday, December 4
Game 5 = Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 at 5 p.m.
 
Game 6 = Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 at 7:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, December 5
Championship = Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 at 7 p.m.
 
GAME STORY
Edinboro enters this Thursday's NCAA Tournament game as the number four seed in the Atlantic Region. The Fighting Scots are coming off a 3-2 loss to Shippensburg in the PSAC Semifinals on November 20. Edinboro is making its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, facing PSAC foe Clarion in the first round for a second straight year.
 
Edinboro will be seeking revenge against Clarion in Thursday's match with The Golden Eagles after Clarion eliminated the Fighting Scots in the 2014 NCAA Tournament with a 3-0 victory in the first round. The Golden Eagles went on to lose in the second round after advancing past Edinboro.
The Fighting Scots had one of the best seasons in school history this year, achieving multiple milestones. Edinboro finished in first place in the PSAC West for the first time since 1997 and made their first appearance in the PSAC Tournament since 2011. Edinboro won 30 games for the first time since 2010 and for only the sixth time in program history. During the regular season, the Fighting Scots rattled off 15-straight victories, one win short of tying the school record.
 
Edinboro took home three of the four major PSAC postseason awards this season, including PSAC West Coach of the Year (Missy Soboleski), PSAC West Athlete of the Year (Challen Litwiler) and PSAC West Freshman of the Year (Megan Screptock).
 
Edinboro is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive year and the 17^th time overall. The Fighting Scots look to make their first Elite Eight appearance under head coach Missy Soboleski. Edinboro has appeared in the Elite Eight four times in school history, last in 2002.
 
ALL-TIME VS. CLARION
Series Record: Edinboro leads 56-24
 
THIS YEAR'S MEETINGS
The Fighting Scots swept the regular season series this year by identical scores of 3-1.
 
In the first meeting at Edinboro, the Fighting Scots won in four sets by scores of 25-12, 25-27, 25-23 and 29-27. Challen Litwiler paced the Edinboro attack with a team-high 20 kills in the match, while Latoya Hutchinson added 16 of her own. Litwiler also led the Fighting Scots with 19 digs. Sydney Trathen led the squad with 48 assists and four total blocks. She also ranked second with 15 digs.
 
In the second meeting of the season, Edinboro defeated Clarion in Clarion, 3-1, by scores of 25-23, 25-21, 21-25 and 25-21. Latoya Hutchinson led the Edinboro offense with 13 kills, while Challen Litwiler and Victoria Severo totaled 12 and 10, respectively. Sydney Trathen paced the Fighting Scots attack with 43 assists and added eight kills. Trathen also totaled career-highs in block solos (2) and block assists (5). Marah Maycock led the Fighting Scots defense with 21 digs. Taylor Palowski totaled a career-high 19 digs. Litwiler also contributed 19 digs.
 
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING SCOTS
 
Head Coach: Missy Soboleski (Gannon '93)
Record at Edinboro: 256-139, 11^th year
Career Record: 389-318. 20^th year
 
Head coach Missy Soboleski has guided the Fighting Scots to their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the third in the last five years. This is Edinboro's eight overall appearance in the tournament in Soboleski's tenure.
 
Soboleski was recently named the PSAC West Coach of the Year. She guided Edinboro to their first PSAC semifinals appearance since 2010. The Fighting Scots got off to the best start in school history, beginning the year 28-2. The team recorded the second-longest winning streak in school history, winning 15 straight contests at one point. Under Soboleski, Edinboro clinched its first PSAC playoff berth since 2011 and finished in first place in the PSAC West for the first time since 1997. Edinboro's 31 wins are the most since the 1990 team won 33. Soboleski led Edinboro to its first 30-win season since 2010 and just the sixth time in program history. Soboleski ranks second in school history with 256 wins, four short of Dr. Patrick McLane's record 260.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Challen Litwiler (MH, 5-8, So.) – Litwiler is the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and a PSAC West first team all-conference member. Litwiler has totaled 491 kills, the seventh-highest season total in school history. She ranks second on the team with 482 digs and is the only player in the PSAC to have both 450 kills and 450 digs. Litwiler leads the PSAC with a team-high 68 service aces, tied for the sixth-highest season total. Her 491 kills and 482 digs ranks second and fifteenth in the PSAC, respectively.

Sydney Trathen (S, 5-9, So.) – A member of the PSAC West first team all-conference, Trathen already ranks ninth all-time in career assists with 2,130, including 1,305 this season. That total is good for second place in the PSAC and ranks eighth in a season at Edinboro. She is tied for second on the team with 56 total blocks, including 15 block solos.

Marah Maycock (L, 5-8, Sr.) – Maycock has played in every set this season, the only Fighting Scot to do so. She has played in the most games in Edinboro history, appearing in 510 over her four-year career. Maycock ranks fifth all-time in career digs (1,681) and third all-time in career service aces (154). She ranks eighth in the PSAC in digs (642) and seventh in service aces (49). Her 642 digs is the fifth-highest single season total in school history. Maycock anchors an Edinboro defense that allows just 9.51 kills per set, good for second in the PSAC.

Victoria Severo (MH, 5-10, Jr.) - A PSAC West second team all-conference recipient, the junior ranks second on the team with 355 kills, while posting a team-high .320 hitting percentage. Her .320 hitting percentage ranks fifth in the PSAC. Severo controls the front of the net with a team-high 104 total blocks. A transfer from Charleston(WV), Severo earned first team All-Mountain East Conference honors in 2013 and was an All-WVIAC honorable mention in 2012

Latoya Hutchinson (MH, 5-9, Jr.) - The junior battled injuries late in the season, but she still ranks third on the squad with 242 kills. In addition, Hutchinson has posted a .247 hitting percentage, good for 18^th in the PSAC. She is also tied for second on the team with 56 total blocks, including a team-high 16 block solos. Hutchinson was named to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Volleyball All-Tournament Team in 2014.

Megan Screptock (OH, 5-9, Fr.) - The 2015 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Screptock has played in all but eight sets this season, totaling 218 kills and 312 digs. Her 218 kills rank fourth on the team, while her 312 digs are good for third.

EDINBORO IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Edinboro is making its 17th appearance in the NCAA Playoffs, and has an overall record of 17-12 in tournament games. This marks Edinboro's second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. It also marks the seventh NCAA playoff appearance under head coach Missy Soboloeski, who is completing her eleventh season at Edinboro. Edinboro is in search of its fifth trip to the Elite Eight. The Fighting Scots last won the regional in 2002, and also reached the national quarterfinals in 1994, 1996, and 1998. The Fighting Scots made eight straight Atlantic Regional appearances from 1996-2003. Edinboro missed the NCAA Tournament just three times in 18 seasons from 1994-2011.
 
In last year's meeting with Clarion in the NCAA Tournament, the Fighting Scots were defeated, 3-0, by scores of 25-16, 25-10 and 25-22. Latoya Hutchinson led the Fighting Scots with nine kills and a .533 hitting percentage, but it was not enough to overcome the Golden Eagles as the Fighting Scots hit just .018 percent in the match.
 
SCOUTING CLARION
Clarion enters the NCAA Tournament as the number five seed having just finished as runners-up in the PSAC Tournament after falling to Shippensburg in the championship, 3-1. The Golden Eagle's boast the PSAC's leading hitter in Gabrielle Olson. Olson leads the PSAC with a .379 hitting percentage. Olson also ranks second in the PSAC in total blocks with 151, including a PSAC-best 132 block assists.
 
Like Edinboro, Clarion has three players that received PSAC All-Conference Team nods. Olson and Mackenzie Biggs earned first-team honors, while Taylor Braunagel was named to the second-team. Braunagel leads the team and ranks sixth in the PSAC with 386 kills.
 
Setter Kaley Pittsley leads the PSAC with 1,388 assists.
 
Head Coach: Jennifer Mills (Barton '99)
Record at Clarion: 228-87, 9^th year
Career Record: 228-87, 9^th year
 
Clarion head coach Jennifer Mills is already the winningest coach in school history in just her ninth season at the helm. Mills was back-to-back PSAC West Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2014 and has won the award a total of three times. In addition, she was the AVCA Division II Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2010. Mills has led the Golden Eagles to NCAA Tournament appearances in all but one season and has received a tournament bid for a seventh consecutive year.
 
EDINBORO VS. THE REST OF THE FIELD
 
#1 Wheeling Jesuit – The two teams did not meet this season
 
#2 Pitt-Johnstown – Edinboro fell to Pitt-Johnston, 3-1, on September 26 in a PSAC Crossover, hosted by Mercyhurst, by scores of 25-21, 25-23, 24-26 and 25-16. It was the lone meeting between the two teams this season.
 
#3 Shippensburg – Edinboro defeated Shippensburg in the lone regular season meeting on September 25, 3-2, by scores of 18-25, 25-14, 25-21, 22-25 and 16-14. Shippensburg got their revenge in the PSAC Tournament semifinals, defeating Edinboro, 3-2, by scores of 23-25, 19-25, 25-13, 25-23 and 15-11.
 
#6 Gannon – The two teams split the season series, each winning a game at home by identical scores of 3-0.
 
#7 West Chester – In the lone meeting this season, Edinboro won, 3-0, over West Chester by scores of 25-13, 25-22 and 25-15.
 
#8 Winston-Salem – The two teams did not meet this season.