ALBANY, N.Y. -
The Binghamton Bearcats had to battle from large deficits in the second and
third sets to sweep top-seeded Albany and win their third America East
Conference volleyball title on Saturday at University Gym in Albany, N.Y.
The Bearcats beat the Great Danes by scores of 25-17, 28-26
and 26-24, claiming their second conference championship in four years.
Binghamton also defeated Albany in 2009 in four sets at University Gym.
Binghamton was led by the championship's Most Outstanding
Player, Grace Vickers, who had 10 kills and 3.5 blocks in the title match. That
was coupled with 17 kills and a .389 hitting percentage in the semifinal match
against UMBC.
Vickers was joined on the All-Championship Team by Iva
Partaleva, who had a match-high 19 kills, and Amanda Dettmann, who totaled 37
assists, nine digs and six block assists in the final.
Albany had two players named to the All-Championship team in
Traci Vandegrift and Gabby Whitworth.
Binghamton won the title with its defense, totaling 12 blocks
and 76 digs in the contest to hold Albany to a .119 hitting percentage. Xiomara
Ortiz had a match-high 32 digs, while Partaleva coupled her 19 kills with 13
digs to record a double-double.
The Bearcats led the first set from start to finish, opening
the match by winning nine of the first 12 points. Binghamton totaled six blocks
and 19 digs in the first frame to hold Albany to a .000 hitting percentage.
Vickers had four kills and four block assists, while Dettmann had 10 assists
and 1.5 blocks.
Albany jumped out to a big lead in the second set, growing
the lead to as much as 18-7 thanks to four kills each from Tatum Jungsten and
Dunja Prgoment.
The Bearcats battled back, knotting the set up at 22 with a
15-4 run. After the teams traded points, Binghamton earned a chance a set point
following a block from Megan Burgess and Alex Roland.
A blocking error by the Bearcats, followed by an attack
error by Partaleva gave the Great Danes set point with the score 25-24, but
Binghamton's Kristin Hovie picked a great time for her first kill of the match
to tie the set once again.
With the set even at 26, Partaleva and Vickers went for
back-to-back kills to give the Bearcats a 28-26 win in the second set and go up
two sets to none heading into the break.
The third set was more of the same story, as Albany grabbed
a 16-9 lead following a 6-1 run. The Bearcats slowly clawed back into the set,
outscoring the Great Danes 11-3 to come within one at 20-19.
Albany's Samantha Brostrom tried to keep the Great Danes
alive in the match, coming alive for back-to-back kills, to put Albany up
22-19. Brostrom finished with four kills in the third set.
A kill by Roland and back-to-back errors by Albany brought
the set even at 22. With Binghamton earning a championship point at 24-23, Albany's
Sara Pope, the America East Player of the Year, had a big kill to help the
Great Danes stave off elimination.
The Bearcats closed out the 2012 title on an attack error by
Albany and yet another kill by Partaleva. It was the second win for Binghamton
over Albany in a title match, the last also coming at University Gym in 2009.
The Bearcats earn the conference's automatic bid to the 2012
NCAA Championship, and will learn their matchup during the 2012 NCAA Selection
Show on Sunday, November 25 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
All-Championship Team
Sherelle Walker, UMBC
Abby Brinkman, New Hampshire
Traci Vandegrift, Albany
Gabby Whitworth, Albany
Iva Partaleva, Binghamton
Amanda Dettmann, Binghamton
Grace Vickers, Binghamton
Most Outstanding Player
Grace Vickers, Binghamton