ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Penn State Altoona women’s volleyball’s pair of senior outside hitters, Kelsey Bristol (Troy, PA/Troy) and Kaitlin Cassaday (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air), were selected to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference team, which was announced Wednesday, November 7, 2018.
Bristol was a first team All-Conference selection, while Cassaday was voted third team All-AMCC.
Bristol played in all 26 matches for the Lady Lions during her senior season, including appearing in 91 of the team’s 94 sets. She provided a big swing on the outside while also displaying solid defense. In the AMCC, Bristol ranked seventh in kills per set (2.74), eighth in total kills (249), ninth in points (273.5) and points per set (3.0), 10th in digs (315), and 11th in digs per set (3.46). She also totaled the third-most attacks of any player in the conference, finishing the season with 878 total attacks.
One of Bristol’s highlights this season came in a match at Medaille College on September 22, when she achieved career-highs with 26 kills and 31 points. Those totals represented the second-most kills and points in a single match in team history, as well as the most kills and points in a five-set match. Bristol was also voted the HEROsports.com D3 HERO of the Week for her performance in a match at D’Youville College on October 13, when she led all players with 30 digs and 19 kills while chipping in seven assists.
Bristol finishes her four-year volleyball career at Penn State Altoona ranked second in attack attempts (2,993), fourth in kills (902), fifth in points (1,017.5), sixth in digs (1,288) and digs per set (3.69), seventh in kills per set (2.58), ninth in matches played (99), and 10th in points per set (2.92).
This is the third time in Bristol’s collegiate career that she has been voted to the AMCC’s All-Conference squad, including the second time as a first team selection.
Cassaday played in all 26 matches for Penn State Altoona in her senior campaign this fall, appearing in a total of 88 sets. She was a steady source of offense for the Lady Lions, and she possessed a serve that was a big weapon for the team. In the AMCC, Cassaday ranked third in service aces per set (0.45) and seventh in total service aces (40), and she was also 18th in points (174.0), 21st in points per set (2.0), total kills (130), and total attacks (468), and 23rd in kills per set (1.48).
Cassaday put herself in the Lady Lions’ single match record books on September 13, when she tallied a career-best seven service aces. That total of seven aces ranked as the third-most in a match in team history, and it also tied for the most in a five-set match.
After a four-year career with Penn State Altoona women’s volleyball, Cassaday ranks 13th in program history in matches played (76), 17th in attack attempts (1,217), 22nd in kills (304) and service aces (57), 23rd in points (385.0), 27th in aces per set (0.25) and solo blocks (14), 31st in digs (446), and 38th in total blocks (34).
This is Cassaday’s first career selection to an AMCC All-Conference team.
Penn State Altoona women’s volleyball finished its 2018 season with an 8-18 overall record, including a 5-4 record in the AMCC. The Lady Lions finished fifth in the conference’s regular season standings.
View the complete 2018 AMCC Women’s Volleyball All-Conference team.
