The Lees-McRae College Lady Bobcats volleyball team traveled to
Lock Haven University for the NCAA Atlantic Regional, falling in
the first round to California University of Pennsylvania in a hard
fought five game match, 30-24, 28-30, 33-31, 15-30, 6-15. The Lady
Bobcats finish 2006 with a 29-8 record.
Preseason AVCA All American and Carolinas-Virginia Athletic
Conference Player of the Year Lacie Smith led the Lady Bobcats with
16 kills and a game high 21 digs and two blocks in her final
collegiate game. Fellow preseason AVCA All American Amanda
Huffaker also played her final collegiate game for the Lady
Bobcats, chipping in with 13 kills seven digs and six block
assists. Tiarra Pendleton (pictured bottom right) stepped up her
game in her first NCAA tournament, playing well on both sides of
the ball chipping in 15 kills as well as 15 digs. Trisha Reese and
Lauren Dickover each supplied the nine time defending CVAC
Champions with 34 and 20 assists respectively as well as 9 and 7
digs a piece.
For the Lady Vulcans, Amber Santavy led the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference finalists in their fourth and fifth game
rallies, tallying a game high 20 kills while also contributing 15
digs. Allison Liptak chipped in with 17 kills and 14 digs while
Shanna Yourchik put up two solo blocks and nine assists. Renata da
Silva had a game high 55 assists for the Lady Vulcans.
Smith (pictured left) and Huffaker (pictured bottom left)
finished their careers as Lady Bobcats owning multiple individual
records while earning three CVAC regular season championships, and
four CVAC tournament titles, good for a 113-40 record, (69-7
CVAC). Smith holds Lees-McRae's career records in service aces,
(190), digs, (1098), and kills, (1915); while Huffaker holds
Lees-McRae's single season total blocks record, (189 in 2005), as
well as the career total blocks record, (577, 2003-06). The pair
was named to last year's NCAA Atlantic Regional First Team leading
Lees-McRae to a program best NCAA Sweet Sixteen finish.
The Lady Vulcans move on to play Slippery Rock University at 5
p.m. tomorrow in second round action.
