Behrend Volleyball To Honor Five Seniors on Wednesday Night
Penn
State Behrend volleyball (24-2, 7-0) will honor its five seniors before the AMCC match
with Pitt-Bradford at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25 in the Junker Center.
Karla Murray (North East/North East), Paige Payer (Venango/Cambridge
Springs), Elaine Voltz (Saxonburg/Knoch), Lisa Wagner (Laurel/New
Castle), and Katie Ward (Center/Center) have led Penn State Behrend volleyball to spectacular success over
their careers while posting impressive statistical totals. Behrend is
50-10 overall in the past two seasons and 16-0 in AMCC competition over that
period. The Behrend Lions have also been victorious in 37 of their
last 40 matches played.
Outside hitter Paige Payer has played in 285 games and totaled 318 digs, 282
kills and 151 assists for her career. Payer is also seventh all-time
in block assists with 105, and has also been an academic all-conference
selection. Head coach Phil Pisano said, "Paige continues to add to our
program with her positive energy, enthusiasm, and love for the sport.
She has really worked hard to improve herself and help her teammates in her
four years and has been a blessing for us as a program."
Outside hitter Karla Murray, a team captain for the past three seasons, has
played in 335 games in her career. She has totaled 1,223 digs which
ranks sixth all-time at Behrend. Murray has also racked up 617 kills,
108 aces, 71 blocks, and 54 assists for her career. In addition Murray
has been an academic all-conference selection and was selected as her team's
Leadership/Scholarship award winner in 2005. Pisano said, "Karla is a leader
and a tough competitor who has forced this program to excel through sheer
will. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, and
her maturity and determination have made her an irreplaceable part of our
success."
Middle hitter Elaine Voltz has played in 359 games for her
career and is a two-time All-AMCC selection. Voltz is the career
leader in kills with 1,378 and the leader in career hitting percentage
(.315). She has also totaled 388 blocks which ranks third all-time and
has tallied 340 digs and 113 aces. Voltz was the 2005 AMCC Player of
the Year and Team MVP in 2004. Pisano said, "Elaine has been a truly
dominant player over her career. Even when our opponents know she is
getting the ball, they struggle to defend against her. She knows
exactly what to do and comes through again and again with the big play when
we need it."
Outside hitter Lisa Wagner, a team captain the past three seasons, has
played in 371 games for her career. Wagner has posted 1,356 digs which
ranks fourth all-time and 1,129 kills which is second all-time at Behrend.
She has also totaled 109 aces, 96 assists, and 94 blocks in her career.
Wagner is a two-time All-AMCC team member and has also been an academic
all-conference selection. Pisano said, "Lisa has been an absolute
workhorse for this program. She has made our other players more
competitive and aggressive just by being around her, and has powered us to
keep reaching higher and higher. "
Middle hitter Katie Ward transferred to Behrend in the spring of 2005.
She missed nearly all of the 2005 season recovering from an injury, but for
her career has appeared in 17 games and posted 15 kills, five blocks, four
digs, and three assists. Pisano said, "Katie hasn't had the benefit of
getting the type of playing time that athletes crave. However, she
constantly finds a way to make important contributions to our team and has
done an unbelievable job communicating information to her teammates during
matches."
Pisano concluded, "It is really hard to express how much these seniors have
meant to our program. They have done everything we've asked of them
and more. We have had some great moments in the past couple seasons
and I am totally thrilled that their hard work has paid off. As we
come down the stretch of the season and their careers at Behrend we are
excited for the chance to send them off as the winners and champions that
they are."