2005 Match Recaps

Mount Vernon Nazarene University ended the Lady Bearcats' season with a 3 games to 1 victory in the semifinals of the NAIA Region IX-X Tournament, held in the Carey Center.

MVNU captured the first game by a score of 30-23, but SVC rebounded to take game two by a 30-21 score.  The Lady Cougars then responded to win the next two games by scores of 30-26 and 30-19.

SVC finishes the season with a record of 28-6.

After being on the brink of elimination, the Lady Bearcats rebounded and won a thrilling 5-game match over Mount Vernon Nazarene University in the American Mideast Conference Semifinal before falling to Cedarville in the Championship in three games.

Saint Vincent lost the first game against MVNU by a score of 30-19.  In the second game, SVC's Shannon McVay was injured and left the game, as Mount Vernon once again defeted SVC by a score of 30-19.

Early in game three, McVay returned, but she and her teammates were on the verge of a loss.  Thirty points were not enough to decide the game, and SVC ultimately pulled out a 33-31 win to stay alive.  The fourth game brought more of the same, as added play was needed for the Lady Bearcats to post a 32-30 win.

In the deciding fifth game, Mount Vernon led 12-9, but the Lady Bearcats once again fought back and won by a 15-13 margin. 

The win was the 28th this season for Saint Vincent, a new single-season record for the program.

Shannon McVay recorded 21 kills, while Emily Ecoff had 19.  McVay blocked five shots, followed by Sara Pockstaller with 4.  Ashley Ripple had 63 assists, while Ecoff recorded 31 digs.  Kristin Hozak and Brienne Dvorsky tallied 30 digs each.

In the Championship game, the Lady Bearcats (28-5) fell to host Cedarville University (42-2) in three games:  14-30, 30-32 and 21-30.  McVay and Lindsay Harkleroad each had 9 kills.  Ripple recorded 32 assists, while Hozak, Dvorsky and Ecoff each had 14 digs.

The Lady Bearcats defeated Carlow University on Senior Night in the Carey Center and finished the regular season with a 17-1 conference record.

Saint Vincent won all three games by identical 30-20 scores, clinching at least a tie for the regular season North Division title in the American Mideast Conference.  If Seton Hill wins on Saturday at Ursuline, both schools will finish with identical conference records.  SVC currently holds the edge in the tie-breaking sytem, but must wait for the final outcome of the SHU game and official word from the conference.

Emily Ecoff topped the stat sheet against Carlow with 13 kills, followed by Shannon McVay and Krystal Weissert with 11 each.  Weissert, along with fellow seniors Ashley Ripple, Lindsay Harkleroad, Sara Pockstaller and Brienne Dvorsky, were honored before the game.

The Lady Bearcats are now 27-4, and their win total equals the school record for most wins in a season, originally set in 1993.

The Seton Hill Griffins ended the Saint Vincent win streak at 20 games and moved into a first-place tie following a five-game match in Greensburg.

Seton Hill won the first game by a score of 30-24 before SVC fought back and won the next two games, 31-29 and 30-27.  However, Seton Hill refused to give up and won the fourth game by a 30-23 score to force the deciding fifth game.

The Lady Bearcats led early in the final but the Griffins stormed back in front of their home crowd to win, 15-9.

Lindsay Harkleroad had 17 kills for SVC, followed by Krystal Weissert with 16 and Emily Ecoff with 13.  Ecoff also had 22 digs, second on the team behind Brienne Dvorsky, who tallied 25.

The Lady Bearcats made short work of Houghton College, winning three straight games to extend their unbeaten streak to 20 matches. The scores were 30-12, 30-23 and 30-19.

Lindsay Harkleroad recorded 15 kills, while Shannon McVay had 13.  Ashley Ripple had 45 assists, Emily Ecoff had 16 digs and Brienne Dvorsky added 15 digs.

The Lady Bearcats posted another three-game sweep, this time on the road over Geneva College. The scores were 30-28, 30-22 and 30-17.

Shannon McVay topped the stat sheet with 16 kills, while Krystal Weissert added 10.  Brienne Dvorsky recorded 23 digs.

The Lady Bearcats swept a pair of matches on the road, extending their win streak to 18.

Coach Sue Hozak's team started the day with a three-game sweep of Daemen College, 30-18, 30-13 and 30-19. Brienne Dvorsky recorded 27 digs, while Lindsay Harkleroad had 10 kills.  Krystal Weissert added 8 kills and Shannon McVay blocked four shots.

The Lady Bearcats swept Notre Dame College in the second match of the day, winning 30-25, 30-16 and 30-22. Dvorsky recorded 22 digs, while Emily Ecoff added 21.  Harkleroad had 14 kills, with McVay tallying 13.  McVay also added four blocks. Ashley Ripple recorded 57 assists and three aces for SVC.

The Lady Bearcats upped their winning streak to 16 games, sweeping the visiting Point Park Pioneers 3-0 in an AMC North Division match. Scores were 30-11, 30-14, and 30-15.

Senior Lindsay Harkleroad led the Lady Bearcats with nine kills, while junior Emily Ecoff had eight and senior Sara Pockstaller five. It was a perfect night for the trio, as none committed errors.  They led a Bearcat attack that hit for a stellar 44 percent.

The Lady Bearcats remaining undefeated in the American Mideast Conference North Divsion with a pair of victories in the Carey Center.

First up on the day was Roberts Wesleyan College.  SVC won the first game 30-25 before Roberts tied the match with a 30-27 victory in game two.  SVC fought back, taking the next two games by scores of 30-28 and 30-18.

Brienne Dvorsky led the way with 23 digs.  Lindsay Harkleroad had 16 kills, while Shannon McVay and Krystal Weissert added 12 each.

The second match of the day saw the Lady Bearcats sweep Ursuline College by scores of 30-16, 30-16 and 30-14. Dvorsky recorded 17 digs, McVay had 13 kills and Weissert added 11 kills.

The Lady Bearcats improved to 9-0 in the American Mideast Conference North Division by sweeping Houghton College on the road in New York. The scores were 30-20, 30-12, and 30-27.

Lindsay Harkleroad and Shannon McVay each recorded 12 kills, while Brienne Dvorsky tallied 16 digs.

The Lady Bearcats went the distance and prevailed, defeating Seton Hill 3-2 to gain sole posession of first place in the American Mideast Conference.

In the night's first game, the Lady Bearcats led by as many as eight, and took it easily, 30-24.  The Griffins regrouped and defeated SVC 27-30 in game number two.  The back-and-forth trend continued, as SVC and SHU shared 30-28 victories in games three and four.

The fifth game was an epic struggle. The Lady Bearcats played catch-up for the first half of the night's final game, and did not manage to tie it until they took the lead, 14-13.  Seton Hill immediately tied it back up at 14, making both teams both teams just two points from winning the match.

Those two points, however, did not come easily, as Saint Vincent took (and subsequently lost) the one-point lead eight times over the remainder of the game.  With the score tied at 21, SVC finally was able to record the final two points necessary for a victory, and they took the night's fifth game 23-21. Overall, there were 14 ties and nine lead changes.

Statistical leaders for the Lady Bearcats on Wednesday night included:
Shannon McVay - 15 kills, 6 blocks
Emily Ecoff - 20 digs, 15 kills
Lindsey Harkleroad - 16 kills
Ashley Ripple - 62 assists, 18 digs
Krystal Weissert - 16 kills
Sara Pockstaller - 4 blocks
Brienne Dvorsky - 25 digs
Kristin Hozak - 20 digs

The Lady Bearcats improved to 7-0 in the American Mideast Conference North Division by defeating both Daemen College and Notre Dame College in a tri-match. SVC swept Daemen in three straight games, 30-17, 30-17 and 30-20. Lindsay Harkleroad led the team with 17 kills, while Shannon McVay had four blocks. The Lady Bearcats won the first game against Notre Dame by a 30-18 score, but the visitors fought back to take game two, 30-25. SVC then regrouped and won the next two games by scores of 30-19 and 30-16. It was a well-balanced team effort for SVC. McVay had 16 kills, followed by Emily Ecoff (14), Krystal Weissert (13) and Harkleroad (12). Mc Vaey added four blocks. Ashley Ripple led the team with 18 digs, followed by Brienne Dvorsky (14), Ecoff (13) and Breanne Ezarik (12). Ripple also added 60 assists.

The Lady Bearcats improved to a perfect 5-0 in the American Mideast Conference with a three-game sweep on the road against Point Park University.

Coach Sue Hozak's team downed the Pioneers by scores of 30-28, 30-17 and 30-19.

Ashley Ripple recorded 35 assists.  Emily Ecoff had 14 digs, while Kristin Hozak added 11.  Shannon McVay had 13 kills and 6 blocked shots.  Lindsay Harkleroad had a stellar night, recording 12 kills in 18 attempts with no errors.

The Lady Bearcats swept Pitt-Johnstown in a non-conference road matchup.  Scores were 30-26, 30-12 and 30-22.

Saint Vincent was led by Shannon McVay, who posted 16 kills and blocked four shots.  Emily Ecoff had 23 digs and 12 kills, while Ashley Ripple posted 54 assists and 20 digs.

The Lady Bearcats improved to 4-0 with a pair of victories on the road in an American Mideast Conference tri-match.

The day didn't start well for Saint Vincent, as they dropped the first game against Roberts Wesleyan College by a 30-28 score.  However, the Lady Bearcats fought back with three straight wins: 30-25, 30-20 and 30-27. Lindsay Harkleroad recorded 18 kills in the RWC match.  Ashlee Shearer had four service aces, and Ashley Ripple recorded 56 assists.  Ripple and Brienne Dvorsky each had 25 digs.

It was all SVC in the second match, against host Ursuline College.  The scores were 30-13, 30-15 and 30-21. Sara Pockstaller had 9 kills, as did Harkleroad.  Emily Ecoff recorded 19 digs, while Ripple tallied 43 assists.

The Lady Bearcats defeated the Geneva Golden Tornadoes and improved to 11-3 on the season with a 3-1 victory over the visitors.

American Mideast Conference Setter of the Week Ashley Ripple led the way with 46 assists and five blocks on the night.  Emily Ecoff recorded 19 digs and 13 kills, Krystal Weissert has 14 kills, Shannon McVay 13 kills, and Brienne Dvorsky 18 digs for the victors. Lindsay Harkleroad added 12 kills while McVay and Sara Pockstaller both had five blocks.

Scores of the nights four matches were 30-18, 30-17, 28-30, and 30-14.

The Lady Bearcats improved to 10-3 with a pair of wins during a quad-match at home.

SVC defeated Fairmont State University in three straight, 30-24, 30-28 and 30-26.  Shannon McVay led the way with 15 kills and 9 blocked shots.  Lindsay Harkleroad added 12 kills, Ashley Ripple had 42 assists, and Brienne Dvorsky recorded 13 digs.

A balanced attack helped SVC to victory later in the day against West Virginia Wesleyan College.  Once again, SVC swept three games, 30-21, 30-26 and 31-29. Ripple tallied 30 assists in the match.  Dvorsky led in digs with 12, followed by Emily Ecoff (11) and Ripple (10).  McVay and Harkleroad each had 12 kills, while Ecoff added 11.

The Saint Vincent Lady Bearcats opened their  American Mideast Conference schedule with a sweep of Carlow University on the road. The scores were 30-24, 30-19 and 30-24.

Emily Ecoff recorded 10 kills for the Lady Bearcats (8-3).  Shannon McVay added 11 kills and blocked four shots.  Sara Pockstaller also had four blocks.  Ashley Ripple had 39 assists.  Kristin Hozak recorded four aces and 13 digs, while Brienne Dvorsky added 12 digs.

The Lady Bearcats swept Mount Aloysius College at the Carey Center in three straight games. The scores were 30-20, 30-16 and 30-21.

Brienne Dvorsky had 15 digs for the Lady Bearcats.  Krystal Weissert blocked six shots, and Ashley Ripple recorded 35 assists. Kristin Hozak had three service aces, and Emily Ecoff added two.  Ecoff also had 15 kills on the night, as the Lady Bearcats improved to 7-3 on the season.

The Lady Vulcans of Cal U downed the Lady Bearcats of Saint Vincent in three straight on Friday night.  The scores were 30-14, 30-24 and 30-19.

The loss ended SVC's 6-game winning streak.

The Saint Vincent Lady Bearcats improved to 4-2 with two perfect sweeps in opening day action of the Bearcat Challenge.

SVC first faced Glenville State, taking three consecutive games, 30-23, 30-22 and 30-11.  Shannon McVay recorded 10 kills for the Lady Bearcats.

Later in the evening, SVC returned to the court, topping Shippensburg University by scores of 30-25, 30-21 and 30-22.  McVay added 12 more kills, while Lindsay Harkleroad tallied 11.  Brienne Dvorsky recorded 27 digs.

SVC completed a clean sweep in day two of the Bearcat Challenge, knocking off Pitt-Johnstown and Allegheny College.

SVC took three straight games from UPJ, 30-17, 30-12 and 30-25.  Lindsay Harkleroad recorded 13 kills and Brienne Dvorsky had 16 digs.

The Lady Bearcats won the opening game against Allegheny by a 30-18 score and never looked back, winning the next two by scores of 30-27 and 30-22 to complete the sweep. Harkleroad and Shannon McVay each recorded 17 kills for SVC.  Dvorsky tallied 18 digs and Ashley Ripple had 36 assists.

Two Lady Bearcats were named to the All-Tournament Team - Shannon McVay and Emily Ecoff.  They were joined by Traci Stoner of Allegheny, Candice Silberschatz of Glenville State, Michelle Doughty of Shippensburg and Kayla Lape of UPJ.

The Lady Bearcats opened the 2005 season with a pair of losses in the Indiana University of Pennsylvania tournament on Friday, but rebounded with a pair of victories on Saturday.

Friday night, SVC fell to tourney host IUP, 3 games to 2, dropping a 15-12 decision in game five.  Lindsay Harkleroad led SVC with 23 kills, while Ashley Ripple recorded 35 digs. The Lady Bearcats then faced Gannon University, once again dropping a five-game match with a 15-11 loss in the finale.

On Saturday, SVC lost the opening game against Pace University by a 30-27 margin, then roared back with three straight wins, 30-22, 30-10 and 30-19.  Shannon McVay recorded 11 kills, while Harkleroad tallied 10.  Emily Ecoff and Brienne Dvorsky each had 16 digs.  Up next was Shepherd College, and SVC followed a similar pattern, dropping game one (30-26) before winning three in a row, 30-26, 30-16 and 30-18, to even their season record at 2-2.  McVay had 13 kills, while Ecoff added 11, and Dvorsky recorded 23 digs.

Harkleroad, a senior outside hitter from Kittanning (West Shamokin HS) was named to the All-Tournament team.