Indianapolis- The Edinboro University volleyball team were selected as the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Atlantic Regional tournament during the selection show on Monday night.
First round match
The Fighting Scots will now prepare for a matchup with the No. 5 seed Clarion. The regional rounds will be hosted by top seed Wheeling University from the Mountain East Conference. The match is set for Thursday, Dec. 2 as the time is still to be determined.
Season so far
It has been an unforgettable season so far for the 2021 Edinboro volleyball team. The Fighting Scots will go into the NCAA Atlantic Regional with an overall record of (21-6) as they have surpassed 20 wins for the first time since 2017. Edinboro also won a share of the PSAC West regular season title for the first time since 2015, as they finished with a conference record of (13-3) along with Gannon.
As a team Edinboro finished the regular season ranked as one of the best in the PSAC, the Fighting Scots finished top five in hitting percentage (.204), assists (12.08 per set), kills (13.08 per set), blocks (2.11 per set), digs (17.92 per set), and opponent hitting percentage (.129). The statistics would translate into wins as Edinboro held winning streaks of eight-straight and six-straight throughout the year.
The result of not having competition last year impacted every team, and for Edinboro it was a positive. The Fighting Scots roster was beneficial to their team morale and success. The two-year break allowed PSAC West Coach of the year Missy Soboleski to bring in young talent and mesh it with upperclassmen leadership.
The Fighting Scots allowed their seasoned veterans to guide the young talent in the right direction. Edinboro's two leaders Alicia Eldredge and Bella Burrelli were named First-Team All-PSAC West.
Burrelli leads the Fighting Scots in kills with 332, averaging 3.46 per set which was the fourth best in the PSAC this season. She ranks third on the team in digs with 286 and has 41 total blocks. Her 32 service aces rank second on the Edinboro roster. Burrelli also finished fourth in PSAC for points per set at 4.06. In two seasons, Burrelli has recorded 644 kills.
Eldredge makes her second appearance on a PSAC All-Conference team after being a third-team selection in 2019 when all 18 teams were voted on together. This season, Eldredge recorded 954 assists, averaging 9.85 per set which was the fifth best in the PSAC. She recorded a .276 hitting percentage with 75 kills. In her career, she has totaled 2,921 assists ranking sixth in Edinboro history.
Burrelli and Eldredge, along with senior Sally Sterkel and junior Erica Sharp, have constructed high expectations for the new young talent this season. The mix of the upperclassmen along with first year players Abby Monn, Natalie Pallone, Carly Pry, Michaella Cloonan, and Abigale Soboleski have been the recipe for success.
As a freshman Monn at the outside hitter position created a lot of noise. Monn's 232 kills rank second on the Edinboro roster, as she averaged 2.61 kills per set. She also made an impact on defense, Monn ranked second on the team with 303 digs and 3.40 digs per set.
Pallone missed out on her freshman season last year and was well prepared for her first year on the floor this time around. Pallone's 165 kills rank fourth on the Edinboro roster, as she averaged 2.32 kills per set. She also impacted the Scots defense, Pallone ranked second on the team with 49 blocks and 0.69 blocks per set.
