PSU Fayette has great weekend
PSU Fayette鈥檚 solid run
This past weekend, both the Penn State Fayette volleyball team and the cross country team competed for United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II championships in Virginia Beach, VA.
And while neither team came home with national titles, both made impressive showings and the future is bring for both teams.
The volleyball team reached its first-ever USCAA Final Four and earned third place.
鈥淭he team came together and played their best game all year,鈥� said head coach Sam Swetz, after the team downed top-seeded University of Cincinnati Clermont in the consolation match. 鈥淚 am so happy and so proud of them for making history!鈥�
Earning the third-place finish wasn鈥檛 the only accomplishment for the team in Virginia Beach as several players brought home hardware as well.
Laurel Highlands grad Siteri Tale was named the USCAA Division II National Player of the Year, First-Team All-American and she was named to the All-Tournament team.
鈥淚t is very emotional that I have won this award,鈥� said the junior. 鈥淚鈥檇 like to thank my teammates, coaches and family because this wouldn鈥檛 have happened without them by my side.鈥�
Freshman Jadyn Barnish, a Carmichaels grad, was named Second Team All-American.
鈥淚t is such an honor to be recognized alongside my incredibly talented teammates,鈥� said Barnish. 鈥淲e all worked so hard this season.鈥�
Chanel Porter, the lone member of the team that does not return next year, was named an All-American Honorable Mention.
Porter, along with Yough graduate Morgan Pytlak, were named Academic All-Americans.
鈥淚 am proud to be named an Academic All-American,鈥� said Pytlak, who is a nursing major and has a 3.81 GPA. 鈥淚 am honored to represent my school.鈥�
The cross country team also finished strong as it took fourth place.
Head coach Joe Carei shared the pride he has in his team.
鈥淥ur best finish in program history was last year,鈥� he said of an eighth-place finish. 鈥淥ur goal was to beat (last year鈥檚 conclusion) and finish in the top five this year.
鈥淢ission accomplished.鈥�
Freshman Drew Erdman looked best for Fayette with a time of 28:31, six seconds ahead of sophomore teammate and Frazier grad Nyoah Marteny.
Sophomore Aaron Mylan, a Jefferson Morgan graduate, finished at 28:57, Connellsville grad Devin Pisarski, a junior, concluded at 29:17 and freshman Stephen Lacek also finished the 8k race in under 30 minutes at 29:29.
All six of the runners finished with 58 seconds of one another.
Slagus grabbing honors
Bucknell senior Kaitlyn Slagus, a Belle Vernon Area graduate, has been named the Bison Athlete of the Week after posting consecutive double-doubles in a pair of wins.
鈥淚t is always an honor to be named the Bison Athlete of the Week, especially with how many other great athletes we have here,鈥� said Slagus in a humble tone of appreciation. 鈥淚 think there are so many other athletes who could have also easily received the award for their performances this past week, including some of my teammates.鈥�
In the season-opening win against Monmouth last Tuesday, Slagus hit a pair of three-pointers as part of an 11-point and 10-rebound performance.
Sunday, Slagus helped Bucknell down Quinnipiac, a team who received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, by scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
鈥淚 am very happy with hos the season is going so far and how well everyone is playing together,鈥� said Slagus. 鈥淭he Quinnipiac win was huge for us.
鈥淚n order to keep the success going, we know we still need to work just as hard because there is still a long season ahead.鈥�
Bucknell returns to action Thursday at Drexel with Slagus looking to improve her place on a pair of all-time lists.
Currently, she is 19th with 1,072 career points and tied for ninth with 727 career rebounds.
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