INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.-- The University at Albany volleyball team will make their third straight appearance in the NCAA Championship when they travel to Palo Alto, California this weekend for a first-round match-up with number two overall seed Stanford. The Great Danes enter the tournament on a 17-match winning streak, while the Cardinal ride an 11-match unbeaten streak. The bracket
was unveiled during the NCAA Selection Special on ESPNU Sunday night.
Albany became the first America East team to win an NCAA Volleyball Tournament match when it swept Cleveland in the first round last year. The Great Danes were knocked out in the second round by eventual National Champion Penn State.
The Great Danes finished 23-8 overall, including a 3-1 win over Temple Saturday after the conference championship, and completed an unblemished 12-0 season in America East play. Albany defeated Maine and Binghamton in the America East Championship for its fourth conference trophy in five years. Albany is led by the America East Player of the Year senior middle blocker Kamisha Kellam, the America East Setter of the Year sophomore Brooke Stanley, and the America East Defensive Specialist of the Year freshman Laurie Gonzalez.
Kellam led the conference in hitting percentage, hitting at a .388 clip, while averaging 2.80 kills and .095 blocks per set. Stanley finished the regular season with a league-leading 10.56 assists per set while also serving up 32 aces and recording 2.28 digs per set. Gonzalez posted 4.04 digs per set in her rookie campaign and earned a spot on the all-rookie and all-conference second teams. Sophomore outside hitter Amanda Cowdrey joined Kellam and Stanley on the America East First Team after completing the 2008 regular season with a team-leading 3.30 kills per set as well as 2.95 digs per set.
Stanford is the Pac-10 Champion by virtue of round-robin conference play. The Cardinal finished the regular season with a 26-3 overall record and are led by sophomore Alix Klineman who leads the team with 3.59 kills per set. Senior Foluke Akenradewo averages nearly a block and a half per game while also hitting at a Pac-10-leading .456 clip. Albany will also have to be weary of senior Cynthia Barboza who averages 3.43 kills and 3.11 digs per set.
Pepperdine and Long Beach State will play in the other first-round match at Palo Alto, with the winner playing either Stanford or Albany in the second round. One of these four teams will advance onto the Fort Collins Regional.