WHEELING, WV – The Edinboro University volleyball team fell to the defending National Champion and top-seeded Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday afternoon, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-15), in the NCAA Atlantic Region Final at the Alma Grace McDonough Center in Wheeling, WV. With the loss, the Fighting Scots finish the season 25-9, their third consecutive 20-win season and ninth overall under head coach Missy Soboleski. The Cardinals improved to 41-2 on the season and advance to the Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, SD.
 
The Fighting Scots have plenty of accomplishments to be proud of this season. Edinboro made its first appearance in the NCAA Atlantic Region Final since 2007 and for the second time under head coach Missy Soboleski. The Fighting Scots also won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2011. Earlier this season, Edinboro set a school record with 17-straight victories, breaking the previous mark held by the 2010 squad.
 
Edinboro also boasted four All-PSAC selections, including first-teamers Victoria Severo and Sydney Trathen. Challen Litwiler was a second team selection while Latoya Hutchinson garnered third team honors. Severo was also a CoSIDA Academic All-America All-District selection, as well as a D2CCA and AVCA All-Atlantic honoree. Trathen joined Severo on the AVCA All-Atlantic team.
 
Hutchinson, Severo, and Trathen were also named to the Atlantic Regional All-Tournament team.

 

Soboleski reflected on her team's journey and their path to the Atlantic Region Finals saying "It's really a tribute to our leaders that we have. Our seniors lead from the bench and they lead from the court. They're very focused and really very hungry and that was a big part of our success this year., they really wanted it."
 
Playing without sophomore Megan Screptock for a second straight day due to injury, the hobbled Fighting Scots left it all out on the court against the defending National Champion. Hutchinson led the Edinboro attack with 11 kills. The senior became just the 15th Fighting Scot in history to record 1,000 career kills. Hutchinson concluded her stellar four-year Edinboro career ranked 15th all-time in career kills, as well as ranking 10th all-time in career block solos with 64.
 
Fellow senior Severo added seven kills and a pair of block assists. Severo concluded her two-year Edinboro career ranking fourth all-time in career hitting percentage at .343 pct. Juniors Trathen and Litwiler added four kills each. Trathen paced the Fighting Scots offense with 24 assists and finished with six digs and a block assist on the other side of the ball. Litwiler finished with 10 digs to move into seventh all-time with 1,273 career digs. Freshman Jordan Van Oss led the squad with 13 digs.
 
The Wheeling Jesuit offense was led by Haley Kindall with 13 kills. Breanna Kramer and Kayce Krucki added eight and seven kills, respectively. Andrea Thobe dished out 34 assists and finished with 13 digs.