CAMBRIDGE, Mass. ? The conference’s head coaches selected the UMBC volleyball team as the preseason favorite to win the 2007 America East Volleyball Championship, bumping out defending-champion University at Albany for the first time in two years. With 34 points and four first-place votes, the Retrievers replaced the Great Danes atop the poll, who received three first-place votes of their own and 30 points to place second. Complete poll...
UMBC (16-15 overall record, 7-5 America East record) and Albany (19-10, 10-2) clashed in the conference championship in 2006 with Albany taking the title with a dramatic 3-2 come-back win.
The University of New Hampshire (23), Binghamton University (22) and Stony Brook University (21) round out the top five spots, while the University of Maine (11) and the University of Hartford (6) complete the poll.
The top four teams in the league will advance to the America East Championship with the winenr of the tournament receiving the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Retrievers, led by third-year head coach Ian Blanchard, will look to go one step further in 2007 and win their first America East Championship. The return of two all-conference selections, including 2006 Rookie of the Year Ashley Oscars and all-rookie pick setter Kira Giles, should help. Giles received Setter of the Week honors twice last year and was selected to the All Championship Team. UMBC also welcomes five newcomers into the mix, including four freshmen and sophomore transfer Tiffany Johnson from Kansas State.
The Great Danes have won three-consecutive America East regular-season crowns. The 2006 Coach of the Year Kelly Sheffield will lead Albany into 2007, along with senior middle blocker Ashley Crenshaw. Crenshaw led the conference in hitting percentage and was top-10 in kills, blocks and points. Junior middle hitter Kamisha Kellam led the conference in blocks with 1.37 per game. She is joined by classmate outside hitter Hillary White. In addition, five incoming freshmen will help fill the gap that the four-member 2006 senior class left after graduation.
New Hampshire (11-16, 6-6) tied Stony Brook for fourth last season, but just missed a playoff berth due to the tie-breaker. The Wildcats are a young, but talented team consisting of four 2006 All-Rookie honorees, including libero Alyse Lahti, who led the team in digs and points. Also returning is senior outside hitter Emmy Blouin, who posted a career-high 402 kills to lead the team. Two liberos, an outside hitter and middle blocker make up Head Coach Jill Hirschinger’s freshmen class.
Binghamton (15-17, 9-3) finished second during the regular season last year, but fell to UMBC in the semifinals of the tournament. Middle blocker Jackie Kane returns for her senior campaign after finishing with the second-most blocks (1.33 bpg) in the league in 2006.
The Seawolves (13-17, 6-6) made the America East Championship last year as the fourth seed. Stony Brook will push for a playoff spot again in 2007 with the help of seniors Morgan Sweany and Kaitlyn Deutsch, who each led the league in kills and assists, respectively, in 2006.
Maine (6-20, 4-8) is another young team without any seniors. The Black Bears hope to improve on 2006’s finish with the addition of three freshmen, including libero Susan Peebles from Long Beach, California.
The Hawks (8-20, 0-12) bring in three freshmen for 2007 and also welcome back senior outside hitter Jennifer Monroy, a second-team all-conference selection last year.