Politixia
2023 Season Opener
Saturday, Sept. 2 / 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
Lock Haven at The College of Saint Rose Tri-Match Tournament
Albany, N.Y. (Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium)
Live Coverage
Women’s Volleyball Schedule
The Lock Haven women’s volleyball team will open its 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 when the Bald Eagles travel to Albany, N.Y. to compete in The College of Saint Rose Tri-Match Tournament. The Bald Eagles take on host Saint Rose at 11 a.m. before facing Assumption University at 1:30 p.m. to round out the weekend.
Setting the Stage:
Saint Rose kicked off its 2023 season with a 3-0 sweep over Felician on Thursday August, 31.
Last Season, Saint Rose secured a 13-15 overall record with a 4-8 mark in the NE10. The Golden Knights enjoyed most of their success at home, finishing 8-6 in Albany, New York.
The Bald Eagles have only faced the Golden Knights once in program history, falling 3-2 on the road in 2019.
Saturday’s meeting with Assumption is the first for Lock Haven in program history and the first match of 2023 for both programs.
The Greyhounds are coming off a 1-16 overall record and 1-11 mark in the NE10 in 2023. Last season was a rebuilding year for the Greyhounds, after compiling eight victories in 2023.
New Era:
Saturday begins a new Bald Eagle women’s volleyball era under Mike Kraft, who was named head coach on May 24, 2023.
A decorated collegiate player in his own right, Kraft previously served as an assistant coach at the college level with the men’s Division III program at Juniata College.
Since 2013, Kraft has held the role of head coach and technical director at Horseshoe Volleyball Club in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. Most recently, he has coached the 12U and 17U girls’ teams, but has vast experience at all levels of youth volleyball.
During his collegiate playing days at Juniata, Kraft was a two-time Academic All-American and helped lead the Eagles to the 2009 NCAA Division III national championship. He graduated from Juniata in 2012 with a degree in early childhood/elementary education. In 2019, Kraft earned a master’s in education from Saint Francis University. Since 2013, he’s taught at Tyrone Middle School as a general education teacher.
PSAC Preseason Rankings:
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) released the 2023 Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ poll on August 17 and the Lock Haven volleyball team was picked eighth in the PSAC Eastern Division.
East Stroudsburg received four of eight first-place and was tabbed by the coaches as the favorite in the PSAC Eastern Division. Shepherd and Shippensburg each received two first-place votes and were slotted No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. West Chester checked in at No. 4 and was followed by Kutztown, Millersville, Bloomsburg and Lock Haven in the Eastern Division.
Bald Eagle Primer:
The Bald Eagles return several veterans with PSAC East experience and Coach Kraft has rounded out the 2023 roster with seven talented freshmen.
Kelly Gaston returns as the floor general and remains one of the conference leaders in assists. The junior finished with a team-high 533 helpers in 2022.
Evie Jane Rembold returns as the team’s leader in kills (113) and blocks (53.0).
Looking Ahead:
The 2023 starts with a busy stretch on the road. On Friday, Sept. 8, Lock Haven will travel to Salem for a non-conference match.
From there, the Bald Eagles head to a competitive two-day (Sept. 15-16) tournament at West Virginia Wesleyan. On Friday, Sept. 15, Lock Haven will face Seton Hill and Bowie State, before playing Central State and Indianapolis on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The Haven will open PSAC East play on Friday, Sept. 22 at Bloomsburg. The match is set for a 6 p.m. start. Last season the two local-rivals split the two-match PSAC East season series.
Lock Haven’s 2023 home-opener is set for Friday, Oct. 6 vs. Millersville (6 p.m.). The full 2023 Lock Haven volleyball schedule is available at GoLHU.com.
