ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The No. 1 seed Cedar Crest College volleyball team swept No. 2 seed Notre Dame of Maryland University to secure the 2021 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Women's Volleyball Championship on Saturday afternoon at Lees Gymnasium, marking the first conference crown in program history.

"This championship is what we have been focused on from the start of the season," said Head Coach Shelby Morgan. "Our team had a goal and we were determined to get it."

In the first set, the Gators jumped out to a 4-1 lead, then traded points and multiple ties, at six-six, before the Falcons took the lead for good, winning the first set, 25-20. Cedar Crest grabbed set two after racing to a 10-3 advantage and ultimately taking a 2-0 lead with a 25-16 second-set victory.

The Falcons would double-up NDMU, 10-5, in the early going in the third set, and eventually went up 20-10 on a service ace from sophomore Ava Grapsy (Macungie, Pa./Allentown Central Catholic). Cedar Crest closed the set on a 5-2 run, capped off by a kill from sophomore Ziah Melton (Allentown, Pa./William Allen) to give the Falcons a 25-12 victory and the 2021 CSAC Women's Volleyball Championship.  

Cedar Crest totaled 53 points in the match, coming off of 39 kills, 38 assists, five blocks, and nine service aces, and 52 digs. Tournament MVP Maddison Minyo (Covington, Pa./North Penn-Mansfield) led the Falcons in kills with 10 and added 11 digs along with two block assists. Grapsy posted a near triple-double with 10 kills, 12 assists, and nine digs. Freshman Alexis Cummins (Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge) registered seven kills while junior Kelsee Schouppe (Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) downed six attacks for kills.

Along with Grapsy, graduate student Tiffany Hoppes (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) and sophomore Rebekka Sanchez-Castro (Laurel, Md./Atholton) had double-digit digs. Hoppes had a match-high 16 while Sanchez-Castro followed with 10.

Morgan continued by saying, "This championship is a reflection of progress this program has made. I often tell our team "better every day" and that is exactly what I have experienced in my seven seasons here. Our alumni bought into the goals and laid the ground-work that with each day, we are better than the last. This years' group thrives together on the court and it's so fun to watch. I am so proud of the work ethic and passion that fills these athletes. It has been a process, but it reminds me that we can be better every day."

Morgan concluded her remarks with this: "The sky is the limit for our Falcons. I am honored and so proud to be a part of Cedar Crest College's first volleyball CSAC Championship!"

With the win in today's CSAC Championship, Cedar Crest (20-5 overall) has claimed the conference's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament, which will be announced on Monday. With the setback, Notre Dame (14-12 overall) finishes its 2021 campaign.

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