Press Releases

April 18, 1997
Southampton Graduate Campus Men's Volleyball Team Falls in East Region Final 4

Colonials Lose to Penn State After Winning 2nd Straight Division II Championship

Contact: Joe Dionisio
(516) 287 8313
Fax: (516) 283 4081

The Southampton Graduate Campus Men's Volleyball Team, which reached the Eastern Region Final Four for the first time in the program's 8-year history, lost to perennial volleyball powerhouse Penn State (15-13, 15-10 and 15-3) on April 17 at Rutgers University-Newark.

The Colonials qualified for the Final Four by defeating host Juniata College (9-15, 4-15, 15-13, 15-8 and 18-16) in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association quarterfinal on April 12.

Penn State advances to play Princeton, the winner of which gets an automatic bid to the NCAA national tournament.

"This is the furthest we have ever gone in the playoffs," said Head Coach Scott Gleason, whose 1997 squad compiled a 17-8 regular season record. "For us to participate in a playoff match against Penn State, which reached the national title game in 1994 and 1995, is a terrific accomplishment."

The Colonials captured their second consecutive EIVA Division II championship on April 5 by defeating East Stroudsburg (15-8, 15-12, 12-15, 12-15 and 15-12) and Queens College (16-17, 15-8, 15-3, 7-15 and 15-13).

Leading the way was co-captain Mike Salak, a senior outside hitter who had 30 kills against East Stroudsburg and 33 against Queens.

Southampton Graduate Campus was seeded fifth in the EIVA playoffs, even though third-seeded Rutgers was beaten by the Colonials during the season, and had a worse overall record. The EIVA includes teams from Divisions I, II and III.

The Colonials' April 12 win over Juniata, the Division III champion, marked their third playoff victory in the last two weeks.

Gleason, winner of three Coach of the Year awards (1990, '91, '96) during his eight-year tenure, has a 171-103 career record.