Ready, Set, Go
Exeter grad Hangen named PSAC Freshman of the Year as setter for Shippensburg
EMILY HANGEN (EXETER) » Emily Hangen replaced four-time All-PSAC performer Maura Nolan as setter with the Shippensburg women’s volleyball team this fall and the Raiders didn’t miss a beat.
The Exeter Township grad was named PSAC Freshman of the Year on Nov. 16 and also was named to the PSAC second team.
Hangen led Shippensburg to a 21-11 record with a 13-5 mark in league play. The Raiders were beaten 3-0 by Pitt-Johnstown in the league quarterfinals and are hoping to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Nolan finished with over 5,000 assists in her career, but Hangen is off to a good start in an effort to join her. She has 1,092 assists and had 40 or more assists in 12 matches this season. She currently ranks second in the league and 38th in Division II with 10.6 assists per set. And, that’s not all she does. She has 266 digs, 66 kills, 38 total blocks and 14 service aces.
“I’m very excited that Emily has been recognized by the PSAC,” coach Leanna Piscotty said. “There were several major contributing freshmen in the conference so I think it’s quite the compliment.”
The coach lauded the freshman’s composure on the court.
“Emily is so consistent in how she performs,” Piscotty said. “She handles pressure points just like any other point. She’s a great teammate and a wonderful young woman.”
Sophomore Gabriella Johnson (Governor Mifflin) has also had a solid season with the Raiders. She has 336 digs, 212 kills, 52 total blocks and 37 service aces. SAM FEEHRER (EXETER) » The 6-foot-1, 180-pound defender was named to the Landmark Conference first team for his play with the Elizabethtown men’s soccer team. Feehrer played in 18 games with 17 starts for the Blue Jays who finished 107-2 and was beaten 3-1 by No. 10-ranked Drew in the league championship game on Nov. 4. He had two assists and helped the team hold foes to 25 goals (1.27 goals against average) with seven shutouts. Feehrer played in 58 games with 55 starts in his career and had four goals and 14 assists with four game-winners. HALEY GRUBER (GOVERNOR MIFFLIN) » The junior and her Misericordia field hockey teammates saw the season end with a 2-0 loss to Franklin & Marshall in the first round of the NCA A Division III Tournament on Nov. 8 in Lancaster. Gruber, who started all 21 games for the Cougars, earned second
team All-MAC Freedom honors. She was second on the team in scoring with 17 points on six goals and five assists. She had three gamewinners and has played in 61 games with 45 starts and has 11 goals and nine assists for 31 points in three seasons. EMILY SMITH (EXETER) » The junior outside hitter had a solid season with the Alvernia women’s volleyball team which finished 16-13 and saw the season end with a 3-0 loss to John Jay in the first round of the ECAC
Tournament on Nov. 8 in Reading. She led the team with 305 digs and 42 service aces and was second in kills with 218. Junior right side Laura Wachowicz (Exeter) had 208 kills, 206 digs, 56 assists, 27 total blocks and 24 service aces. ABBY MCKAY (GOVERNOR
MIFFLIN) » The freshman wrapped up her first season as a member of the Slippery Rock field hockey team, the Rock finishing 10-9 overall and 5-5 in PSAC play and saw the season end with a 5-0 loss to East Stroudsburg in the first round of the league tournament on Oct. 31. The 5-foot-7 midfielder played in all 19 games with six starts and
had two goals and an assist. She had the game-winner in a 3-1 non-league victory over Queens on Sept. 4. Her other goal came in a 2-1 league victory over Indiana on Sept. 27. COURTNEY WENSEL (BERKS
CATHOLIC) » The junior was named to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference first team for her play with the Jefferson women’s volleyball team. The 6-foot outside hitter leads the Rams in kills with 419 and digs with 403 and has 1,226 career kills and 1,203 career digs and has led the team to a 26-6 record heading into the CACC Tournament. She also has 55 total blocks and a team-high
50 service aces. Sophomore Alexis Leddy and freshman Caitlin Crespo, both Berks Catholic grads also see action with the team and Crespo is second to Wensel with 332 digs. CAYLA SPATZ (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The senior midfielder wrapped up her career with the 9-8 Susquehanna field hockey team by earning Landmark Conference second-team honors. Spatz had four goals and three assists with a game-winner that coming when she scored two goals in a 3-2 league victory over Goucher on Sept. 30 in Towson, Md. She played in 65 career games with 58 starts for the River Hawks and finished with 46
points on 17 goals and 12 assists. She had four gamewinners. OLIVIA BLANKENBILLER
(BERKS CATHOLIC) » The 5-foot-6 freshman setter was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III AllAmerican honorable mention list for her play with the Carbrini women’s volleyball team. Earlier she was named to the Colonial States Athletic Conference second team. Blankenbiller had 1,179 assists, second most in team history. She also had 241 digs, 58 kills, 39 service aces and 28 total blocks to help the Cavaliers post a 29-7 record, the season ending with a 3-0
loss to Otterbein in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Nov. 10 in Westerville, OH. EMILY SAXON (BOYERTOWN)
» The senior is wrapping up a solid career as a defender with the Albright women’s soccer team. The Lions, competing in the ECAC Tournament, are 128-1 after going 4-3-1 in MAC Commonwealth play after a 1-0 loss to Lebanon Valley in the first round of the league tournament on Oct. 31. Saxon has a goal and an assist and has helped the Lions hold foes to 17 goals (0.79 goals against average) with 10 shutouts. She has played in 78 games with 77 starts in her career.