ALTOONA and WASHINGTON, Pa. - The Penn State Altoona men's and women's soccer teams and women's volleyball team enjoyed successful outings during their day of spring competition this past weekend.

Head coach John Parente's men's soccer squad emerged victorious at the Washington & Jefferson Classic on Sunday, going 2-0-2 and winning the title on a tiebreaker.  Rich Hopewell (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) was named the Classic MVP.

The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference champion women's soccer team won the women's portion of the W&J Classic Sunday afternoon, sporting a 3-0-1 record en route to the crown. Meredith Barcia (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) won Classic MVP honors.

At the Adler Gym, head coach Phil Peterman and the Lion volleyball team played six matches Saturday, going 4-2 on the afternoon.  Altoona battled AMCC foe Mount Aloysius as well as a Penn State Altoona alumni team consisting of many players from the 2006 conference championship squad.

ALTOONA, Pa. - Penn State Altoona women's volleyball players Jess Tirko (State College, PA/State College) and Olivia Hallahan (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon) finished the 2008 season ranked in the final NCAA Division III statistics for digs and blocks, respectively.

Tirko became the first Penn State Altoona student-athlete ever to finish atop the NCAA statistical rankings for a specific category after finishing first in all of Division III in digs per set.  The sophomore accumulated a gaudy 787 digs in 93 games for an 8.46 digs per set average -- nearly 1.50 more than the second-ranked Lisa Sturgill of Lake Forest College.

Tirko, the Lions' starting libero, tallied an amazing 70 digs in a four-game match against La Roche College on August 29, setting a new school record in the process.  She also had a 54-dig performance against Pitt-Bradford on October 4, another program record, and currently holds the four-game and five-game digs records at Penn State Altoona.

Hallahan, the squad's only upperclassman this season, finished 36th in the country in blocks per set at 1.14.  She shattered the all-time blocks record at Penn State Altoona on October 18 at Medaille after tallying 18 block assists.

The bi-weekly NCAA stats report was generated six times this season on September 14, September 28, October 12, October 26, November 9, and finally on December 22.  Both Tirko and Hallahan were ranked in every report throughout the entire season.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Sophomore libero Jess Tirko (State College, PA/State College) and junior middle hitter Olivia Hallahan (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon) were selected to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Women's Volleyball All-Conference team, the league office announced Tuesday.

Tirko, the Division III leader in digs per set at 8.46, earned her first-ever AMCC postseason honor.  Tirko is the school record holder in digs for a three, four, and five game match.  She accumulated an incredible 70 digs in a four-game match against La Roche on August 29 and dug up 54 attempts in a conference match vs. Pitt-Bradford a month later.

Hallahan was named a second team all-conference performer after averaging a team-best 2.25 kills per game.  She had a season-high 19 kills in an August 30 match against La Roche, and recorded 16 spikes in an October 25 match vs. Hilbert.  Hallahan also led the Lions in blocks (1.14 bpg) and shattered the previous school record by tallying 18 blocks in a match at Medaille.

The Lions finished the 2008 season at 8-19 overall and 5-4 in AMCC regular season action.  Head coach Phil Peterman's squad bowed out to Pitt-Bradford in the first round of the league playoffs.

To view the entire 2008 AMCC Women's Volleyball All-Conference team, visit www.amcconf.org.

BRADFORD, Pa. - The fifth-seeded Penn State Altoona women's volleyball team fell in straight games to fourth seed Pitt-Bradford Tuesday night in the first round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference volleyball tournament.

Bradford cruised to the match win by scores of 25-16, 25-8, 25-16.

Altoona managed only 18 kills through the three games and committed an uncharacteristic 15 attack and 13 reception errors. Freshman Kayle Knob (Altoona, PA/Altoona) had a team-best five spikes, while sophomore libero Jess Tirko (State College, PA/State College) dug up 30 Bradford attack attempts.

The outcome was a stark contrast to what occurred in the squads' regular season meeting earlier this year.  On October 4 in Altoona, the Lions won the first two games before UPB made the improbable comeback to win the contest 3-2.

The Lady Panthers move on to face top seed Penn State Behrend Friday evening in Erie.  The other semifinal pits #2 Frostburg State against the winner of the 3-6 game between Pitt-Greensburg and Mount Aloysius.

Penn State Altoona concluded its first season under new head coach Phil Peterman at 8-19 overall and 5-4 in the league. 

ALTOONA, Pa. - The Penn State Altoona volleyball team fell to Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference leader Penn State Behrend in three games Saturday afternoon at the Adler Gym.

Altoona lost the three games by scores of 25-13, 25-14, 25-19. 

Junior Olivia Hallahan (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon) and freshmen Kayle Knob (Altoona, PA/Altoona) combined for 10 kills, while sophomore Jess Tirko (State College, PA/State College) ended the match with 20 total digs.

Freshman Laura Creason (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) also added eight set assists and five digs to the Lion's cause.

The Lions will take the court this coming Tuesday, November 4, when they begin play in the AMCC tournament playoffs.  Altoona's opponent has yet to be determined.