Shippensburg University Athletics

* Maria is a red-shirt junior athletically but plans to graduate before the 2017 season.

2015 (R-Sophomore): Transitioned back to an integral defensive cog while also working on the outside for the Raiders in a return season from injury…exceeded her career high in digs, totaling 477 on the season to rank second on the team…averaged 3.5 digs per set…competed in 38-of-39 matches and 138 sets…achieved a new career high of 33 digs at Kutztown, fourth-most by a Raider in a match during the season…produced double-digit digs in 22 matches, including the final seven of the season, surpassing 20 digs in seven contests…began the year where she left off 2013 as an outside hitter, finishing with 102 kills and a .056 hitting percentage…notched a season-high 13 kills against Fairmont State and had 12 kills against Edinboro and West Liberty…delivered double-digit kills in five contests, including four double-doubles with digs…contributed to 21 blocks (20 block assists), amassing a season high of five against Fairmont State…maintained her strength on the serve with 47 aces, ranking third on the squad…had the top-two service ace matches of the season for the Raiders, serving a career-high seven against Concord and later six against Shepherd…served at least one ace in 25 matches, including multiple aces in seven contests…compiled 79 assists on the season.
 
2014 (Sophomore): Medical-redshirt season.

2013 (Freshman): Made an immediate impact for the Raiders in the second half of the season as an outside hitter after working the first half of the season as the team’s libero and defensive specialist due to injuries sustained by other players…played in all 39 matches, including 139 sets…constant was her dynamic serve, as her 59 aces were the second-most in the PSAC during the season…her 0.43 aces-per-set average ranked sixth in the conference…established her career high with five aces in one match three times…provided at least one ace in 26 matches and multiple aces in all but eight of those contests…led the team with 470 digs, including double-digit efforts in 25 matches…totaled a career high of 32 digs against Charleston…shifted to her natural position in mid-October and had her breakthrough game in her hometown, ripping a career-high 18 kills and hitting .412 with 10 digs and three block assists in a five-set win over Mercyhurst…totaled 124 kills for the season and had two other double-digit kill performances, totaling 15 at UPJ and 12 against Cheyney; all three games marked double-doubles with kills and digs…had five or more kills in 10 of 19 matches after switching to outside hitter...also compiled 37 assists and 18 block assists.
 
Fort LeBoeuf High School: Earned four varsity letters for the Bison under coach LeAnn Byer…played for club team Niagara Frontier under coach Robert Pierce…was a member of the 2012 PIAA ‘AA’ State Championship team and earned All-State ‘AA’ honors in Pennsylvania as a junior and senior…named the District 10 and Region 5 Player of the Year as a senior…compiled senior-year statistics that included 365 kills, 224 digs, 76 aces and 40 blocks…selected to the principal’s honor roll.

Personal: Full name is Maria Rose Peluso…is the daughter of Jim and Peggy Peluso…majoring in biology with a concentration in pre-pharmacy...has a brother, Anthony, who was a sprinter in track & field at Seton Hill.