MIDDLETOWN, Pa. – The third-seeded Gallaudet University women's volleyball team fell in straight sets to second-seeded Penn St. Harrisburg in the United East Conference Tournament semifinals Wednesday night inside the Capital Union Building.
Gallaudet (19-10) saw its nine-match winning streak come to an end as Penn St. Harrisburg (17-7) won by set scores of 25-17, 25-14, 25-23 to advance to Saturday's conference championship match.
Senior outside hitter
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas), who was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III National Player of the Week on Tuesday, led all players with 19 kills on 41 attempts and a .366 hitting percentage. Worley added six digs and a service ace.
Prior to the start of Wednesday's semifinal match, Worley was recognized as the 2026 United East Women's Volleyball Elite 21 Award recipient. The conference honor recognizes academic excellence among student-athletes competing in its championship tournaments.
Senior outside hitter
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) contributed 10 kills and six digs, while first-year setter
Gracie Gloster (Clark, N.J.) dished out 28 assists, four digs and a service ace. First-year libero
Tori Harris (Stockbridge, Ga.) anchored the Bison defense with a match-high 16 digs.
Penn St. Harrisburg controlled the opening set with 14 kills and a .444 hitting percentage to take a 25-17 victory. The Lions continued their offensive efficiency in the second set, hitting .346 with 13 kills to win 25-14.
Gallaudet responded with its strongest offensive set of the match in the third, recording 15 kills and hitting .306. The Bison battled to keep their conference championship hopes alive, but the Lions held on for a 25-23 victory to complete the sweep.
Penn St. Harrisburg finished with 41 kills and a .364 hitting percentage compared to Gallaudet's 34 kills and .261 hitting percentage. The Lions also held an 8-2 advantage in service aces.
Senior outside hitter Camryn Wettstone led the Lions with 11 kills and a .526 hitting percentage, while fellow senior outside hitter Brianna Ondishin Ribon added 10 kills and eight digs. Sophomore Nicole Dos Santos contributed seven kills, and senior libero Kate Bukowski finished with 16 digs.
The loss marked Gallaudet's second defeat at Penn St. Harrisburg this season after the Lions won the regular-season meeting, 3-1, on Oct. 6.
In Wednesday's other semifinal, fourth-seeded Lancaster Bible College upset top-seeded St. Mary's College of Maryland in straight sets (25-20, 25-22, 25-17). Lancaster Bible will travel to second-seeded Penn St. Harrisburg on Saturday, Nov. 14, for the United East championship match at 2 p.m. The conference title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament will be on the line.
