WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – With a team that features six seniors and three juniors, perhaps it's no surprise that the veteran-laden Lycoming College volleyball team is making its first appearance in the MAC Commonwealth Championship since 2016.
 
What may be a surprise is that the team jumped two spots in the conference standings to secure the No. 4 seed and will play host to No. 5 Lebanon Valley when the tournament opens on Monday night, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m.
 
The MAC Commonwealth Championship is a ticketed event, with tickets available for $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. Children under six and Lycoming students are free. Long-sleeve championship T-shirts will be available for $18.
 
A season after losing the school's all-time digs leader in Emily Hepner, the Warriors (17-12 overall, 5-3 MAC Commonwealth) have shown a resilience throughout the year, scooping up more than 1.5 digs more per set than their opponent, as five players are averaging more than 2.0 digs per set.
 
Senior Lindsay Beck (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown Community) has led the group in her first year as a starter, averaging 3.54 digs per set, while senior Lilly Singleton (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) has added 2.29 digs per set while using the libero jersey as well as seeing time as a defensive specialist. Junior Kiannah Titus (Clay, N.Y./Baldwinsville) has become an important all-around player, averaging 2.33 digs per set, senior setter Emily Morris (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) has added 2.29 and senior defensive specialist Darci Warriner (Wellsboro, Pa./Wellsboro Area) adds 2.02.
 
The offense is led by junior Elle Jednorski (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston), who has come on strong to average a team-leading 2.75 kills per game, while Titus adds 2.07 and freshman Elizabeth Kelson (Denville, N.J./Morris Catholic) has added 1.52. The 6-2 Kelson also gives the team a distinct advantage at the net, as she is one of the conference's best blockers, averaging 0.95 blocks per set.
 
The veteran-laden squad has enjoyed a season where they have broken through several obstacles that stymied them in the recent past, beating Widener for the first time since 2014, taking a set of Messiah for the first time since 2010 and beating Lebanon Valley for the first time since 2012 to clinch the No. 4 seed.
 
Lebanon Valley (16-15 overall, 4-4 MAC Commonwealth), which fell to the Warriors, 3-2, on Oct. 29, is led by Jayna Class, who averages 2.76 kills and hits .294, and Reily Shelly, who averages 3.12 kills per set.