For the second straight year, Widener's volleyball team will take part in the ECAC South Tournament championship weekend.
The third-seeded Pride (22-15, 5-2 Commonwealth Conference) will battle No. 2 seed Gallaudet in the tournament semifinals at 1:30 pm in Center Valley, PA. The other semifinal pits No. 1 seed and host DeSales against fifth-seeded Saint Vincent at 11:00 am. The winners play for the championship at 4:00 pm.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. No complimentary tickets will be given.
Widener advanced thanks to Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Swarthmore in the quarterfinals. Senior Devan Green (Monroe Center, IL) and freshman Angela DiMaria (Warrington, PA) notched 12 kills apiece. Freshman Meghan Spence (Havertown, PA) had 20 digs with junior Erin Gravelle (Media, PA) and freshman Chelsea Hoeffler (Cranford, NJ) adding 10 apiece.
Widener has a strong unit that includes Green, a middle/outside hitter who was named first team all-conference last season. She is sixth in the league this season with a .268 hitting percentage and 11th with 2.30 kills per set.
Sophomore setter Jamie Ballew (Media, PA), last season's conference Rookie of the Year and second team all-league pick, is fifth in the conference with 8.36 assists per set. DiMaria is eighth in the league with 2.45 kills per set and sophomore Alectra Edison (Lancaster, CA) is ninth with a .241 hitting percentage.
Spence is second in the conference with 4.71 digs per set and senior Danielle Wetling (Upper Darby, PA), picked second team all-league last season, is third on the team with 2.15 kills per set.
The Pride notched their seventh 20-win season in school history and it is the first time they have consecutive 20-win years since posting four straight from 1988-91. Widener this season advanced to the conference tournament a third straight year before bowing to eventual champion Lebanon Valley in the semifinals.
Widener last season defeated City College of New York in the ECAC South Tournament quarterfinals before falling to Penn State Behrend in the semifinals. It was the team's first postseason appearance in school history.
ECAC South Volleyball Tournament
Wednesday, November 11 – Quarterfinals
No. 3 Widener d. No. 6 Swarthmore, 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17)
No. 1 DeSales d. No. 8 Penn State Altoona, 3-1
(25-21, 25-17, 15-25, 25-14)
No. 2 Gallaudet d. No. 7 Pittsburgh-Bradford, 3-0 (25-9, 25-12, 25-16)
No. 5 Saint Vincent d. No. 4 Penn State Behrend, 3-2
(19-25, 25-23, 27-25, 22-25, 15-11)
Saturday, November 14 – Semifinals
(in Center Valley, PA)
Widener (22-15) vs. Gallaudet (25-14), 1:30 pm
Saint Vincent (23-10) at DeSales (22-8), 11:00 am
Saturday, November 14 – Final
(in Center Valley, PA)
semifinals winners, 4:00 pm
