USCAA Member Penn State Mont Alto Digs Pink

Featured below is a community event story featuring USCAA member Penn State Mont Alto.  We welcome members to share their community service and events with the USCAA. Please send information to theuscaa@yahoo.com.  

Penn State Mont Alto Volleyball Digs Pink

10/15/2009 - The stands were filled with all colors of pink as the Penn State Mont Alto Women's Volleyball team hosted Penn State York on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 for their Dig Pink National Breast Cancer Awareness Rally.  All of the proceeds from donations benefited the Side-Out Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) organization located in the Washington DC metropolitan area.  Funds are currently devoted to targeted therapies and molecular profiling where there have been breakthroughs in diagnostics and treatment.  Side-Out also devotes a portion of the funds to local and national "Life with Cancer" support organizations. 
 Mont Alto and York teamed up to raise money for the cause and together raised over $4,000.  Penn State Mont Alto brought in $2,904 and York had $1,314.  Coach Drue Hoffman was really proud of the team. "It was great to see that the ladies were able to split their time between studies, practice, and matches to make such an effort for this cause," he said.  Each team had a goal of $1,000 and they were very proud to have exceeded their goals by so much. 
The event included t-shirt sales, raffles, a silent auction, and sales of flowers and cookbooks.  "It was great to see the students and community come together to support the fight against breast cancer. We are all very excited to be able help make a difference," explained Ashley Jacobs, associate director of athletics at Penn State Mont Alto.
Both Mont Alto and York wore Dig Pink jerseys to show their support.  The Mont Alto ladies rolled over their division rival (25-17, 25-20, 25-21) to remain unbeaten in the PSUAC South Division, and they remain only one match back of conference leader PSU Fayette. "After a long delay between set 2 and 3, as some Dig Pink raffles were announced and fans served to win prizes, Mont Alto found themselves down a dark hole at 2-9 before they began to rally the cause, the crowd, and the brass section to their support. With all cylinders firing, the team ignited the fans on several huge kills by Lora Wenger and Sara Replogle, and Celena Woodal recharged the defense. Trailing all the way until 19-19, the team then took charge and put Penn State York on their heels as they rolled on to a 25-21 victory in set three," Coach Drue Hoffman commented.
It was a bittersweet game for some of the Mont Alto players because it was the last home game this season.  Five members of the team will not be dressing in Penn State blue and white again in Mont Alto's gym. The team is now focusing on getting to the PSUAC and the USCAA championships.  "The ladies now face the grueling two-week down time as they prepare for the PSUAC finals in State College on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1. They will undoubtedly face the only team to hand them a conference loss this year and they are looking to take a step up and dethrone Fayette, the two-time defending champions. The ladies will be tested as they need to remain focused and intent on their goals. "We are on the verge of planning our first trip to the National Tournament in Louisville, KY on November 5, 6, & 7 as we continue to remain steadily in the top 10 of the USCAA national rankings," explained Coach Hoffman.

 Thank you to the sponsors for making this event possible!

Sponsors
Stouffer Mechanical Contractor, Jeff Fisher Insurance Agency Inc., Tri-State Community Health Center, Four Seasons Crop Care Inc., Dr. Madeira Eshbaugh Chiropractic, Liberty Mountain, Fox Hole Firearms

Item Donors
L.A. Cameras, Waynesboro YMCA, Quiznos of Waynesboro, Gold's Gym of Waynesboro, Gracie's Place, Arturo's Pizzeria, Frank's Pizza, B&H Lawn and Floral, Twin Kiss