SELINSGROVE, Pa. – For the second straight season, Susquehanna University will battle Moravian in the Commonwealth Conference women’s volleyball semifinals as the teams will meet Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Bethlehem.

The Crusaders (23-7 overall, 5-2 Commonwealth) will look to avenge a 3-1 loss in last year’s semifinals to the Lady Greyhounds (22-7, 6-1) in the first-ever postseason match at O.W. Houts Gymnasium. Susquehanna will be making the sixth postseason appearance in school history, and third in the last four seasons.

The teams have met twice this season, with Moravian claiming a 3-1 win in Bethlehem on October 17 and the Crusaders countering with a 3-1 victory at the Elizabethtown Halloween Classic on Saturday afternoon.

Susquehanna needs one victory to tie the school record for wins in a season, set by the 1995 squad which finished 24-13. Regardless of the outcome of Wednesday’s match, this year’s team will break the school record for winning percentage set by the 1990 squad (.676, 23-9 record).

Susquehanna, which boasts six freshmen on its 12-player roster, is led by freshman middle blocker Kerri Eshleman (Landisville, PA/Hempfield H.S.). Eshleman, who leads the team with 372 kills (3.58 per game), a Susquehanna single-season record 162 blocks (1.56 per game) and a .306 hitting percentage, needs just 19 kills to tie the school single-season record of 391 set in 1995 by Michelle Liechty.

Eshleman has recorded double figures in kills in 22 of the Crusaders’ 30 matches and has finished with seven or more blocks a total of nine times this season. She ranked 24th in Division III in blocks per game in the latest NCAA rankings.

Senior outside hitter Lydia Steward (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola H.S.) is second on the team with 268 kills (2.71 per game) and leads the squad with 449 digs (4.54 per game), including 24 double-digit performances. Steward needs just 19 digs to tie her own school single-season record set last season, while her 1,127 career digs are second in Susquehanna history and her 625 career kills rank fifth.

Senior outside hitter Brittaney Snoke (Shippensburg, PA/Shippensburg H.S.) has contributed 174 kills in 97 games (1.79 per game) and has posted 10 or more kills in a match five times this season.

Sophomore setter Robin Clarke (Huntingdon, PA/Huntingdon Area H.S.) has averaged 8.47 assists per game (661 total) and ranks second in school history with 1,547 career assists. Freshman Liz Kelley (Carlisle, PA/Carlisle H.S.) has contributed 346 assists in a reserve role (6.18 per game).

Freshman outside hitter Sara Weaver (Perkasie, PA/Pennridge H.S.) and freshman middle blocker Marissa Gaulton (Havertown, PA/Haverford H.S.) have also enjoyed solid rookie campaigns. Weaver has recorded 175 kills (2.08 per game) and hit .277 to rank second on the squad, while Gaulton ranks second to Eshleman with 74 total blocks and is third on the team with 178 kills.

Defensively, junior Nicole Azar (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall H.S.) has notched 302 digs in 97 games (3.11 average) while junior Becki Bert (New Cumberland, PA/Cedar Cliff H.S.) leads the team with 71 aces (0.68 per game) and ranks third on the team with 210 digs (2.02 per game).

The winner of Wednesday night’s match will play for the Commonwealth Conference championship on Saturday against the winner of the other semifinal between Lebanon Valley and Juniata.