PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Nov. 9, 2023) - The Cougars defeated fourth-seeded Washington and Jefferson (W&J) in three sets to advance to the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship. Chatham (in their first championship appearance) will host the Bethany Bison (21-7, 9-1) on Saturday. 

In a balanced team effort, the Cougars hit .151 for 30 kills and 50 total points. Senior Jena Williams tallied a match-high 11 kills on .365 hitting. Sophomore Alyssa Leskovac trailed Williams with eight kills, followed by senior Amelia Bogovich's six. The Cougars also scored 11 aces, led by Leskovac's four. Freshman Ava Plunkard and seniors Jessica Taney and Bogovich all registered two aces. Plunkard assisted on a match-high 15 kills, followed by junior Natalie Keough's 12. 

The match ended with multiple defensive efforts by the Purple and Gray. Chatham blocked eight total W&J attacks, with freshman Becca Gesner assisting on seven. In the third set alone, Gesner and Taney walled up against three Presidents' attacks. Senior Meghan Dominek led the match with 15 digs, while Leskovac defended 11 attacks. Overall, Chatham held W&J to their third-lowest hitting percentage (.019) and fourth-lowest point output (29) of the year. 

With their win over Bethany in the regular season, Chatham earned hosting rights for the PAC Tournament. The championship bout will take place in the AFC on Saturday at 7 p.m. The winner of this year's championship tournament will receive the league's automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. Team selections for the Division III Championship will be announced on Monday, Nov. 13. Regional action is set to begin on Thursday, Nov. 16.