Lady Roaring Lions honored with postseason accolades
December 3, 2010—Uniontown, Pa.
The conference champion Penn State Fayette Roaring Lions Women's Volleyball team dominated the recently announced 2010 Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference (PSUAC) All-Conference Team, comprised of the best players from the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses. Sophomore Leah Ambrosini, juniors Alex Rossi and Katie Sleasman and freshman Marney Hillen all collected postseason accolades, including Ambrosini's selection to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association's (USCAA) All-American squad. Coach Nancy Wheeler also took home the Coach of the Year award, her second consecutive honor.
Ambrosini, an outside hitter from Connellsville, was named PSUAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, while also being named to the First Team. Following her outstanding freshman year with a dominate sophomore campaign, she was also selected to the 2010 USCAA All-American First Team for a second consecutive year as a member of that exclusive club. Ambrosini led the nation in hitting percentage by more than 11 points, recording 239 kills on 335 attempts for an outstanding .588 percentage. Her average of more than 3.8 kills per set led the conference, while she also led the conference in points per set with an average of more than 4.5. Ambrosini also had 33 service aces during the 2010 season to help lead Fayette to the USCAA National Championship Tournament.
Sleasman, a setter from Connellsville, was named PSUAC Setter of the Year and PSUAC First Team. This is Sleasman's second recognition as Setter of the Year, but her third selection to the All-Conference squad as she was also honored in her freshman (first team/setter of the year) and sophomore seasons (first team). Sleasman averaged 8.8 assists per set, nearly two more per set than her closest conference foe and good enough for the fourth best average in the USCAA. After missing the first 10 matches of the season in which the team was 5-5, Sleasman's return coincided with the team going 14-5 over their final 19 matches, helping them earn the number two seed in the PSUAC Championship and eventually take down number one seed Penn State Mont Alto to earn the conference's automatic bid in the USCAA Championships.
Hillen, an outside hitter from Geibel Catholic, was also named to the PSUAC First Team after jumping on the scene with a strong freshman year. Hillen was third in the PSUAC in hitting percentage at .389, which was also good enough for fifth in the USCAA. She was also sixth in the PSUAC with an average of 2.4 kills per set, after collecting 155 kills on 293 total attacks.
Rossi, an outside hitter/setter from Yough, was named to the PSUAC Second Team. The selection was Rossi's second straight year being honored, as she garnered first team honors in 2009. Rossi hit .257, collecting more than 100 kills to average more than 2.0 kills per set. Rossi also doubled as a libero and setter throughout the season, as she filled the Lady Roaring Lions role of the ultimate utility player.
With the help of a strong supporting cast, these four starters led the Lady Roaring Lions to their third consecutive conference championship and fifth championship in six seasons. The Lady Roaring Lions now own the most PSUAC championships in conference history. Fayette won the regular season and tournament championships in both 2008 and 2009, while winning the tournament championship in 2010 that led to their third consecutive trip to the USCAA Championships. The Lady Roaring Lions finished the PSUAC schedule 14-2, while going 19-10 overall in the regular season. Fayette proceeded to go 5-3 in postseason play to post a school record 24 victories, helping earn Wheeler her Coach of the Year accolade.
The 2010 season saw several firsts for the Lady Roaring Lions, as they defeated not one, but three NCAA Division III opponents (Pitt-Greensburg, LaRoche, Chatham) for the first time in program history. The 2010 campaign also saw Fayette as the first ever PSUAC school to advance from pool play at the USCAA National Championship Tournament. The tenth-seeded squad went on to finish fifth after going 2-2 in pool play before bowing out to the University of Dallas (TX) in the quarterfinals. The two victories also added to Fayette's history as the only PSUAC member institution to win a match in the USCAA National Championship Tournament, including their first victory in 2008.
The Lady Roaring Lions return all but one of their 10 players for the 2011 season, including all six starters. Fayette will open the 2011 season at the Penn State Beaver Volleyball Classic, held August 26-27.