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Penn State Mont Alto poses with their 2022 USCAA D2 Volleyball National Championship trophy and banner after defeating Penn State York in the title game in Virginia Beach, Va.
Penn State Mont Alto poses with their 2022 USCAA D2 Volleyball National Championship trophy and banner after defeating Penn State York in the title game in Virginia Beach, Va.
Penn State Mont Alto poses with their 2022 USCAA D2 Volleyball National Championship trophy and banner after defeating Penn State York in the title game in Virginia Beach, Va.
Posted: Nov 12, 2022

Penn State Mont Alto Captures 2022 USCAA D2 Volleyball National Championship

BOX SCORE

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - No matter the outcome, the PSUAC was going to have a national champion coming out of Saturday's USCAA Volleyball Division 2 National Championship game. In the end, it was Penn State Mont Alto that emerged victorious, capturing their first ever national championship in any sport with a 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-14, 25-21) win over Penn State York.

Mont Alto, playing in its second straight USCAA Volleyball National Championship game, and York had advanced out of their respective pools on Friday as the top seeds going into the elimination bracket, and easily won their semifinal matches to set-up a rematch of the PSUAC Championship match. Except this time they were going to be playing for all the marbles. 

York took the first set in dramatic fashion, as a back-and-forth effort took it to extras, as the teams were notched at 24-24. York used two straight kills to wrap up the first set; it was the first set York had won in any of the three meetings between the teams this year. Unfortunately for the runners-up, it would also be its last. Mont Alto scraped up a win in set two, another set in which the teams traded blows and leads throughout, before the victors closed it out with three straight points after being tied at 22. 

That shift late in the second set gave Mont Alto momentum that they took full advantage of, pulling away in the third set for a 2-1 lead. Mont Alto, last year's USCAA runners-up, and this year's PSUAC Champions, closed the door in the fourth and final set of the season to win the title.

Mont Alto's Gracie Vaughn was named Tournament MVP, while teammates and sisters, Brooke and Kylie Denlinger, joined her on the All-Tournament Team. York's Jess Dunbar and Makayla Dyson were also honored on the All-Tournament Team for their performances from the week.

Vaughn finished the championship match with 22 kills, hitting .528, and added three blocks. Kylie Denlinger dished out 44 assists while Brooke Denlinger added 33 digs in a competitive match. Dunbar led York with 13 kills on the day.

Mont Alto completed the season double-dip after capturing the PSUAC title, and goes home with more gold. It's the second USCAA Volleyball Championship won by a PSUAC team, following Penn State Fayette's title in 2019.