Submitted photo / Grove City College Canfield graduate and Grove City College volleyball senior Emma Hartshorn was named first team all-league in the Presidents Athletic Conference.

A pair of area women’s volleyball products were recently honored by the Presidents Athletic Conference.

Canfield High School graduate Emma Hartshorn was named first-team all-league for Grove City College, while former Lordstown standout Josie Toporcer made second-team all-league for Westminster College.

The league’s nine head coaches determined, by vote, this year’s All-PAC teams and annual award winners.

Hartshorn’s versatility helped the Wolverines finish 20-11 for their highest win total in 12 seasons. They finished eighth in the league with an 8-8 record and reached the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III tournament, where they lost to Misericordia, 3-2, at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 16. Hartshorn had 12 kills in the match.

“Going into my senior season, I really wanted to make this year memorable and we did that,” said Hartshorn, a right-side hitter. “It was a unique group because it was the closest-ever in a team setting.”

Hartshorn ranked among Grove City’s leaders in several categories this season. She was second in kills, averaging 2.73 per set and that was the ninth-best mark in the league. Hartshorn had 41 blocks, the second-most on the squad, and her 2.92 digs ranked fifth. Hartshorn also had a .200 hitting percentage.

“Emma is a tremendous athlete who has played several positions throughout her career at Grove City,” coach Leo Sayles said. “We chose to keep her on the right side because of her block, but she could have easily played outside for us. She is one of our top three passers as well. Throughout the season she has proven to be arguably the best right-side attacker in the PAC.”

Hartshorn spent two seasons as Grove City’s primary setter and ranks ninth all-time in program history with 1,587 assists. A four-year starter for the Wolverines, she was honorable mention All-PAC in each of her first three seasons.

Late last week, Hartshorn earned first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, as voted upon by the region’s sports information directors. She will now advance to the nationwide CoSIDA Academic All-America ballots in their respective sports. The Academic All-America teams will be announced in early December.

“Emma is a tremendous leader who has gained respect from her teammates, classmates, and professors at Grove City. I have been blessed to have her leadership as we worked to build something special this year,” Sayles said.

Westminster had a terrific season, winning the PAC title at 13-3 and earning a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament. The Titans finished 26-7 overall after losing to Susquehanna, 3-0, in the first round of the regional tournament Nov. 15 in Baltimore.

Toporcer, a senior libero, had a league-best 708 digs in the regular season. That mark was 10th in the nation in Division III. Toporcer also averaged 6.44 digs per set in the regular season, which was second in the PAC and ranked sixth nationally in Division III.

“We were so focused on winning the PAC championship and coming together after finishing second the past three years,” Toporcer said. “We got it done and had great support from the athletic office, everyone involved with our program, the faculty, students and even the alumni reached out. When we clinched the title it was a great day to be a Titan.”

It was the first time Toporcer earned all-league honors.

“I was pretty much stuck to the bench as a freshman and increasingly got more opportunities,” she said. “So to win the title and get that recognition is really cool. Individual awards are never goals, but it is icing on the cake. This was the culmination of years of hard work and the title was the culmination of working out three hours a day, plus lifting on your own, for the past five months.

“I persevered and tried to get better in practice every day and scrimmaged hard against the other girls on the team. That competition creates team growth so you do whatever it takes. If you fill water bottles, do it and encourage your teammates, and be into it. In volleyball and other team sports, 30-to-50 percent of success is traced to team morale. That’s why it’s important.”

Toporcer made the transition to libero after spending the majority of her career as an outside hitter.

“Josie is an outstanding team player,” coach Tammy Swearingen said. “She competed as a right-side hitter the majority of her career and this year was willing to embrace the role of the libero. (The switch) wasn’t because we had a better hitter, it was due to her defensive and passing ability. It is where the team needed her.

“She has been a great athlete to coach. She works hard and I can always count on her to give 100 percent. She is determined, dependable and selfless. She has been a good leader for the team and we are certainly going to miss her. I am so excited for her to finish her career as a PAC champion and by collecting her first postseason honor and competing in the NCAA Division III tournament.

bemerine@tribtoday.com