Plenty of history was made in 2018 for the Cedar Crest College women’s volleyball team. And former Emmaus High School standout Tiffany Hoppes was at the center of it.

Hoppes even set some personal history this past fall with the Falcons.

Cedar Crest (18-8 overall, 6-2 in CSAC) won its first ever playoff match this season, defeating Clarks Summit University in five sets in the Colonial States Athletic Conference quarterfinal in late October. It was the first time the Falcons had been to the playoffs since 2012.

“Being a part of a team that won the program’s first ever playoff match was awesome,” Hoppes said. “Our team goal this season was to make it to playoffs, and so we worked very hard throughout the season to get there. All the practices, lifts and repetitive drills were worth it.”

Hoppes, a sophomore libero, made a name for herself on a personal level as well. Her 443 digs this past season wasn’t only a team-best, but it set a new program record for digs in a single season. She sits fifth in program history with 858 career digs and has a real chance to break the all-time record of 1,232 career digs set by Lisa Stewart next season.

To add to those accolades, Hoppes was also named the CSAC Defensive Player of the Year. She is the first Cedar Crest player to ever win the award, and Hoppes finished third in the conference in digs and service aces (53).

“This past season was one I will not forget and by far one of my favorites,” Hoppes said. “I accomplished my own personal goal of being the all-time dig leader at Cedar Crest, as well as receiving many other awards throughout the season…As a team, we did the best we have in many years with a record of 18-8 and advancing to the CSAC semifinals…

“Being named CSAC Defensive Player of the Year was an honor because there was a lot of high competition this season. I was super excited to receive this award because I was the first in program history to do so.”

Some players may change positions going from high school to college depending on the team’s needs and other factors. But Hoppes was fortunate enough to play libero during her time at Emmaus and Cedar Crest thus far.

The position familiarity certainly helped the transition to the next level for Hoppes. So did the competition she faced on a nightly basis at Emmaus.

“There wasn’t that big of a difference going from Emmaus to Cedar Crest,” Hoppes said. “At Emmaus, most of the time the competition was always difficult, and pushing you to your limits and making you fight for every point to win a game. The same goes for Cedar Crest. The competition is always intense, and you have to fight for every ball in order to win a set.”

Now, with Cedar Crest’s best season in the record books, the Falcons are looking to the future and how they can take another step forward. For Hoppes, it starts with her offseason program and playing in double and quad tournaments in the upcoming months.

“In the off season I plan to focus a lot on staying strong and keeping up on my defensive skills to prepare for next season, because I know there is a lot more coming our way,” Hoppes said.