READING, Pa. - The 2017 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) women's volleyball championship will go through Gallaudet University after the seven-time defending champions defeated Penn St.-Berks here Saturday in the conference semifinals, 3-1.

Gallaudet (18-15), the No. 2 seed in the NEAC South Division, turned back the Nittany Lions (14-14), the No. 1 seed in the NEAC South Division, by the score of 27-25, 17-25, 25-22, 25-21. The Bison avenged a 3-0 regular-season loss, a month ago, here to Penn St.-Berks.

The Bison will have to avenge their other conference loss they suffered this season in Sunday's championship match when GU goes up against Morrisville State College. The Mustangs (23-6), the No. 2 seed in the NEAC North Division, defeated Wells College (19-13), the No. 1 seed in the NEAC North Division, 3-1 in the second NEAC semifinal.

Morrisville defeated Gallaudet in straight sets back on Sept. 15 at home.

GU set the tone early against the Nittany Lions as it led for the majority of the first set. The Bison converted 16 of 35 attack attempts with only five errors for a .314 attack percentage, their best mark in the four-set win.

After Penn St.-Berks evened things up in the second set, 17-25, the Bison finished the third set strong with an 8-4 run. Gallaudet dominated the fourth set as it led by as a much as seven points midway through, and 23-17 late, en route to the 25-21 victory.

Senior outside hitter Darriyan Thomas (Vallejo, Calif.) led the Bison with 17 kills and 12 digs for her 18th double-double. Sophomore Adele Daniels (Austin, Texas) passed out 42 assists and made 10 digs. Junior libero Raelyn Fuechtmann (South St. Paul, Minn.) made a team-high 20 digs and four aces. 

Penn St.-Berks was led by Alexis Horst (20 kills, 17 digs), Morgan Schwartz (44 assists, 10 digs) and Madison Wojciechowski (26 digs).

BISON TRACKS

• Senior middle hitter Giuletta Maucere (Valley Village, Calif.) compiled eight kills and four block assists
• Junior middle hitter Shua Clay (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) tallied eight kills, three blocks (one solo)
• Freshman outside hitter Karita Lewis (Frederick, Md.) had seven kills
• Freshman opposite hitter Brynn Schmidt (Bozeman, Mont.) added four kills and two block assists
• Sophomore Channalee Phelan (St. Hedwig, Texas) recorded eight digs

UP NEXT
Gallaudet and Morrisville will play tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 5) at 11:30 a.m. on the campus of Penn St.-Berks for the NEAC championship and a berth into the 2017 NCAA Division III women's volleyball championship.