Box Score

The Shippensburg University volleyball team began its first PSAC crossover weekend of the season Friday night with a four-set victory over the Mercyhurst Lakers from Koehler Fieldhouse on the campus of East Stroudsburg University. Set scores were 25-16, 25-21, 19-25 and 25-22.

Shippensburg (10-3, 1-0 PSAC) is off to its best start to a season through 13 matches since at least 1992. The Raiders did not post a negative hitting percentage in any set and tallied 10.5 blocks to edge a Mercyhurst (12-3, 0-2) squad that entered Friday having lost just once through its first 13 games of the season.

Senior Rachel Smicker was outstanding on Friday night, ripping nine kills and just one error for a .308 hitting percentage in addition to seven block assists. Smicker also had three digs and two assists.

Junior Jill Edwards had a dynamic evening with a game-high 13 kills on just two errors and 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. The reigning Daktronics Atlantic Region Player of the Year hit .244 on Friday night and is swinging an impressive .183 through 520 attempts thus far in 2012.

Seniors Andrea Heimsoth and Lauren Murphy continue to provide outstanding play for the Raiders. Heimsoth had 28 assists and 20 digs, while Murphy had 19 digs. Freshman Natasha Gibble impressed once again with her play from the back row with 11 digs and a match-high three service aces.

Freshman Taylor Gottshall added seven more block assists, bringing her season total to 43 through just 13 matches. Gottshall entered the week ranked fifth among all individuals in Division II for blocks per set.

Tomorrow, Shippensburg will face a pair of difficult PSAC Western Division opponents. The Raiders will face Gannon at 12:30 p.m. before taking on Edinboro at 3 p.m. Both matches will again be held at ESU's Koehler Fieldhouse.

Notes: SU had 19 attack errors Friday night but only seven were the result of errant hits by the Raiders, as the Lakers tallied 12 total blocks…the 2007 squad coached by Piscotty, SU's only volleyball team in history to compete in the NCAA Tournament, began the year 18-4…Michael Shatzer's record-setting 1991 squad began its season 20-4…Jill Edwards is 40 kills shy of reaching fourth place on SU's career list.