MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Millersville's 24-match home winning streak started in September of 2018 after a loss to Shepherd. It came to an end Tuesday night in the PSAC Quarterfinals at the hands of Shepherd--now the only team to beat Millersville inside Pucillo Gymnasium in the last two seasons. Shepherd's two-headed attack of Cambriea Hill and Peyton Linbland combined for 43 kills, and the Rams controlled the net with 15 blocks in the 25-15, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20 playoff win.

Just three days earlier in Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville swept the Rams to earn its first home playoff match in 20 years. But Hill did not play in the match, and Linbland totaled just eight kills. It was a far different result on Tuesday. The Rams totaled 64 kills--the most by a Millersville opponent all season. Hill posted 22 and Linbland recorded 21. The Rams keyed on the PSAC's top hitter Jayci Suseland and limited her to 11 kills and a .154 hitting percentage--well below her season average of .335. Lindsey Blevins, the reigning PSAC Southeast Athlete of the Week, filled in on the attack and totaled 20 kills (.231).

Millersville, now 25-8, swept the regular season series with a home and road win over Shepherd. The Rams improved to 25-8. Shepherd advances to the PSAC Semifinals to take on No. 1 seed Gannon. Millersville's season is likely not finished. The Marauders, ranked No. 4 in the most recent NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, looks like a lock for the NCAA Tournament.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
• While home court advantage was key in the first 14 home matches of the season, the Marauders started slowly Tuesday, totaling just five kills in the first set--four of which came from Blevins. Of Millersville's 15 points, nine came on Shepherd errors. The Marauders rebounded in the second set and a 7-0 run turned a 9-9 score into a 16-9 Millersville lead. The run included three kills from Suseland and two from Blevins. The Marauders led by as many as nine in the set with Suseland recording six kills without an error.
• The turning point of the match came late in the third. Millersville led 22-22 with service, but a service error put Shepherd in front by one. Haley Butler evened the score with a kill, but Lindblad came right back with an answer, and a Marauder attack error put Shepherd up 2-1.
• The Marauders never truly recovered. Shepherd scored the first four points of the deciding fourth set and led by as many as six before the Marauders crawled back. A 12-5 Millersville run put the Marauders in front 16-15, but the lead lasted one serve. Shepherd scored the next three points, two of which came on kills from Hill. With the score 19-18, Hill slammed two more kills and a Millersville attack error made it a four-point advantage for Shepherd. The Marauders could pull no closer than three before the Rams closed it out with a service ace.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Millersville's .133 hitting percentage was its third-lowest of the season, and Shepherd's 15 blocks were the second-most by any Marauder opponent this season.
• In addition to her team-high 20 kills, Blevins recorded 15 digs. Katie Laughman completed a double-double with 35 assists and 17 digs. Rebecca Dalstad led the team with three aces.

POST-MATCH REACTION FROM COACH BRIAN SMITH
• Thoughts on the match: "It's a championship-type game. When you have two regionally ranked teams, teams seeded four and five, it's anyone's game and you have to come out an execute. There were a lot of nerves in the beginning and ebs and flows in confidence on both sides. Their game plan was to slow down (Suseland) and they got that accomplished. Shepherd is a team that went to the NCAA's last year. We have some younger players. There was a lot of pressure and we didn't execute."
• On the team's slow start: "We were not firing and executing offensively. Jayci is one of those players who if she gets some kills early, she feeds into that. Shepherd really keyed on her, so it was a slow start for us."
• On playing Shepherd three times: "The saying is that it's hard to beat a team three times in one year. I think Shepherd came in knowing that they were a better team than they showed on Saturday. In our first match with them, they statistically won the match. We scored points at the right time."
• On playing Shepherd three times: "Lindsey had a phenomenal match. It was a big match and she was a big-time player. Her numbers were really good."

NOTES
• Millersville made its second consecutive PSAC Tournament berth, reaching the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1998 and 1999. The Marauders, however, have lost 10 consecutive PSAC Tournament matches.
• Millersville now has a 6-4 record against teams in the top 10 of the most recent NCAA Atlantic Regional ranking.

UP NEXT
• Millersville waits for the NCAA Selection Show which is Monday at 7:30 p.m. Fans can watch the show here. The video will go live on the page at 7:30 p.m.