Penn State Mont Alto Are Back-To-Back National Champs

UNIONTOWN, Pa. – Leslie Huckle had 20 kills and Tournament MVP Gracie Vaughn added 11 kills and five blocks as Penn State Mont Alto defeated Kent State-Tuscarawas 3-1 to win the 2023 USCAA Women’s Division II Volleyball Championships Saturday at Penn State Fayette. 

Kent State-Tuscarawas closed out the first set winning three of the last four points as a kill by Taliyah Johnson gave them the opening set 27-25. 

Mont Alto started the comeback after trailing 21-20 in set two, the Lions roared back to claim the last five points and a 25-21 second set win after an ace from Cayla Shrimplin. 

Set three went the same way as set two as Mont Alto scored four of the last five points to take a 2-1 lead winning 25-17 following an Abigail Wagner kill. 

The final set saw Kent State-Tuscarawas take a 24-20 lead after an Addison Gordon kill, but Penn State Mont Alto scored the next four points to tie it on an attack error. Following a service error by Mont Alto to give Kent State a 25-24 lead, Mont Alto closed the match winning the next three points as another attack error gave them the championship. 

Brooke Denlinger had 21 digs to lead Penn State Mont Alto, while Gabby Baughman added 19, Denlinger with 17, Ashlyn Vandenbree with 14 and Cadance Somau with 10. Denlinger had 46 assists as well. 

Alivia Spaulding had 13 digs, with Shrimpllin had 27 digs and three aces and Kylie Culbertson had 42 assists and 10 digs. Makenzie Ailes had a double-double of 12 kills and 20 digs as well.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Olivia Giltner – PSU York

Taliyah Johnson – Kent State-Tuscarawas

Kylie Culbertson – Kent State-Tuscarawas

Kylie Denlinger – PSU Mont Alto

Leslie Huckle – PSU Mont Alto

MVP: Gracie Vaughn – PSU Mont Alto