Main Story: IUP hosts Clarion in Saturday’s PSAC volleyball semifinals after winning the Western Division regular-season title and sweeping East Stroudsburg in the quarterfinals. The Crimson Hawks will need to counter Clarion’s nationally elite blocking to reach Sunday’s championship match on their home court.

By the Numbers
  • IUP: 22-5 overall, 12-2 in PSAC play; Clarion: 20-8 overall, 10-4 in PSAC play.
  • Clarion ranks second nationally with 2.74 blocks per set; IUP hit .384 in its quarterfinal win.
Yes, But

IUP enters with momentum after a three-set quarterfinal win, but Clarion advanced through a five-set battle and brings a formidable blocking defense. The matchup pits IUP’s balanced attack against Clarion’s ability to disrupt it at the net.

State of Play
  • IUP faces third-seeded Clarion at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
  • Gannon meets Seton Hill in the other semifinal at 1 p.m.; both winners advance to Sunday’s 1 p.m. final.
  • The PSAC champion earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region tournament.
What’s Next

IUP must get past Clarion to keep its conference-title run alive. A win would set up a Sunday final against Gannon or Seton Hill.

Bottom Line

Home-court advantage and offensive balance give IUP a path to the final, but the semifinal may turn on whether it can score consistently against Clarion’s blocking wall.