Three members of Penn State Altoona women’s basketball team were voted to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) team, which was announced on Tuesday, Feb. 27, by the league office.
Forward Avana Sayles, of Venetia, was voted to the second team of the All-AMCC squad, while guard/forward Jaidyn McCracken, of Bellwood, and guard Jordan Bisignani, of Pittsburgh, were both third-team selections.
NORTH BOSTON, N.Y. — Five members of the Penn State Altoona women’s volleyball program picked up postseason honors from the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, as the league announced its all-conference team and other postseason awards on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
Lions head coach Jamie McGreal was voted the AMCC’s Coach of the Year, and outside hitter Lia Simanski, of Altoona, was selected the conference’s Newcomer of the Year. Penn State Altoona also got four student-athletes on the all-conference list, as libero Anna Batrus, of Altoona, was a first-team All-AMCC selection, outside hitter Lacee Barnhart, of Bellefonte, and Simanski were both second-team picks, and middle Makenna Port, of Bellefonte, earned third-team recognition.
Penn State Altoona Lions head coach Jamie McGreal was voted the AMCC Coach of the Year.
McGreal took the reins of the Penn State Altoona women’s volleyball program this season after serving as the team’s assistant coach each of the past two years. Under her guidance, the Lions finished as AMCC regular season champions and went on to win their third-ever conference championship, the team’s first since 2011. Penn State Altoona went 8-1 within the AMCC this fall, recording their most conference wins since the 2016 season. The Lions are now preparing to make their third NCAA postseason appearance later this week, after receiving the conference’s automatic berth by virtue of their AMCC title victory.
Penn State Altoona women's volleyball student-athlete Lia Simanski was named the AMCC Newcomer of the Year.
Simanski enjoyed an excellent first season for Penn State Altoona while playing in all 26 matches for the Lions. Among all players in the AMCC, the outside hitter ranks seventh in kills per set (2.77), eighth in kills (263) and points (293.0), ninth in points per set (3.1), 10th in digs (328), 12th in digs per set (3.45), 37th in service aces (24), and 38th in hitting percentage (.110).
Penn State Altoona women's volleyball student-athlete Anna Batrus was a first-team All-AMCC selection.
Batrus took over the role of starting libero for Penn State Altoona and anchored the team’s defense while playing in all 26 matches. She leads the AMCC this season in digs per set (5.55) while being second in total digs (533). Batrus also received the AMCC’s Defensive Player of the Week award a league-high six times throughout the regular season.
Penn State Altoona women's volleyball student-athlete Lacee Barnhart was a second-team All-AMCC selection.
Barnhart put together another strong season for Penn State Altoona while appearing in all 26 matches. In the AMCC, she is seventh in digs (398), eighth in digs per set (4.15), 11th in kills per set (2.28), 13th in kills (219) and points per set (2.7), 14th in points (259.5), 27th in service aces (30), 35th in aces per set (0.31), 35th in block assists (15), and 39th in total blocks (18). Barnhart was also named the AMCC Defensive Player of the Week once during the season.
Penn State Altoona women's volleyball student-athlete Makenna Port was a third-team All-AMCC selection.
Port provided a strong presence at the net for Penn State Altoona while playing in all 26 matches. In the conference, she ranks third in solo blocks (31), fourth in total blocks (70) and blocks per set (0.74), eighth in block assists (39), 13th in hitting percentage (.205), 21st in points (214.5), 22nd in kills (163), 23rd in points per set (2.3), and 29th in kills per set (1.72).
This is Barnhart’s third consecutive season earning All-AMCC honors, while it is the first time in the collegiate careers of Batrus, Port, and Simanski.
Penn State Altoona women’s volleyball is 16-10 overall this season. The Lions will face No. 1 Juniata College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament regional in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, this Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m.
