WHEELING, W.Va. – The Shippensburg University volleyball team, ranked No. 7 in the 2017 NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament, will take on No. 2 seed Gannon in the first round at 2:30 p.m. Thursday from Wheeling Jesuit University's McDonough Center.
 
Live video and live statistics of all matches will be provided by the hosts, Wheeling Jesuit. Links are available on shipraiders.com.   
 
Shippensburg (21-11) is making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and its fifth in the last six years under head coach Leanne Piscotty. Gannon (28-6) is making its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Matt Darling.
 
Earlier this season, the two teams played an "instant classic" inside Heiges Field House in which Shippensburg rallied from a 2-0 deficit to claim a five-set victory, posting an 18-16 score in the final frame. The two teams finished within three points of each other in all five sets.
 
SU won its first nine Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) contests of the season, beginning with the Gannon match, before posting a 4-5 record in its final nine league matches. Gannon, meanwhile, won eight straight PSAC contests after the SU loss and only lost two other times in league play. The Golden Knights made it all the way to the conference championship match, where they fell in five sets to Pitt-Johnstown.  
 
This is the second NCAA Tournament matchup between the two teams. In the first round of the 2015 NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament, the Raiders fell in four sets to Gannon. SU won the first set in that matchup, 25-10, but then fell 19-25, 25-27 and 22-25 to the Golden Knights.
 
The 2017 Shippensburg squad is unique in that it boasts no seniors. Junior outside hitter Morgan DeFloria is a two-time All-PSAC outside hitter; she earned Second Team honors this season that includes 16 double-doubles with kills and digs.
 
Sophomore middle Samantha Webber earned All-PSAC First Team honors this season and earlier Tuesday was named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) All-Atlantic Region Second Team.
 
Setter Emily Hangen was named the 2017 PSAC Freshman of the Year. She ranks second in the conference in averaging more than 10 assists per set.

SU's five juniors -- DeFloria, Courtney Malott, Katie Lemheney, Bridget Terrel and Angela Tarabrella -- are making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in three seasons.
 
The winner of Thursday's match will advance to play at 5 p.m. Friday against the winner of the Pitt-Johnstown (No. 3 seed) and Seton Hill (No. 6 seed) matchup. The Atlantic Region Championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday.