University Park, Pa.-- University at Albany volleyball defeated Cleveland State, 3-0, Friday evening in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Championship at Rec Hall on the Penn State University campus. The straight set win (30-20, 30-20, 30-25) sends the Great Danes to the second round of the tournament where they will play the host Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Against the Vikings on Friday, the Great Danes got to work early. Freshmen Valerie Sourbeer and Amanda Cowdrey each finished with 11 kills, hitting at .429 and .417 clips, respectively. Junior Kamisha Kellam, a member of the All-Conference First Team, earned two solo blocks and five block assists. The America East Championship Most Outstanding Player, freshman setter Brooke Stanley posted 33 assists, averaging 11.0 per game, and freshman libero Tawny Dahmes finished with 13 digs.
Albany will play Penn State in the second round Saturday night. The Nittany Lions are the top-ranked team in the country and are seeded three for the tournament.
The Great Danes became the first America East team to win a match in the NCAA Tournament and advance to the second round.