CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- The top-seeded University at Albany Great Danes will host the 2011 America East Volleyball Championship for the fourth straight year-- and seventh time in the last eight years -- while University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University and UMBC will join them in the single-elimination tournament on Nov. 18 and 19.
The winner of the tournament will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.
Albany earned the top seed with a 3-2 victory over New Hampshire Friday night. The Wildcats, who handed the Great Danes their only America East loss of the season, will enter the tournament as the two seed for the second time in the last three years. Stony Brook makes its second straight tournament appearance, improving on last year's fourth seed as this year's three seed. UMBC picked up a win on Sunday at Providence and locked up the fourth seed.
Albany (19-8, 11-1) and UMBC (16-11, 6-6) will square off in one semifinal on Friday. It will be a rematch of last year's Championship final between the two teams picked to finish first and second respectively in the 2011 preseason coaches' poll. The Great Danes swept the regular season series by 3-2 and 3-0 scores.
New Hampshire (10-19, 8-4) and Stony Brook (14-12, 7-5) pair up in the other semifinal. The Wildcats and Seawolves have met just once prior in America East Championship play, nearly a decade ago in the 2002 title game. The 2011 season series has been tightly contested with the Wildcats winning both meetings in five sets.
The winners of the two semifinal matches will compete in the final on Sat., Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. Albany is the defending champion and winner of five of the last seven championships. New Hampshire has won three America East titles, while both Stony Brook and UMBC are chasing their first-ever America East tournament crowns.
Tickets for the 2011 America East Volleyball Championship will be sold at the door for $7. Tickets for youth aged 14 and under are $3 and tickets for America East students with proper ID are $2.
2011 America East Volleyball Championship
All matches on the University at Albany campus, Albany, N.Y.
Friday, Nov. 18 - Semifinals
#4 UMBC at #1 Albany, time TBD
#3 Stony Brook vs. #2 New Hampshire, time TBD
Saturday, Nov. 19 - Final
Semifinal Winners, 7 p.m.