DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire Wildcats captured back-to-back titles for the second time in school history, beating the University at Albany in four sets in the 2014 America East volleyball title match on Saturday afternoon in Durham, N.H.
UNH (20-11) remained unbeaten on its home court in America East tournament play, improving to 10-0 as the Wildcats captured their fifth title in program history. The match ended with set scores of 25-22, 19-25, 27-25 and 25-13. It is the third America East Fall Championship for New Hampshire as a school including Women's Cross Country and Women's Soccer.
Sophomore Demi Muses notched 26 kills over the two-day tournament, including 14 in the title match to go with 15 digs on her way to being named the Most Outstanding Player. Muses was joined on the All-Championship team by Madison Lightfoot (40 digs) and Abby Brinkman (22 kills).
Albany finishes the season 10-16 after reaching the title match for the ninth time in 11 years. Senior libero Viktoriia Stroilo and sophomore outside hitter Amanda Dolan were named to the All-Championship team for the Great Danes.
New Hampshire had a balanced attack with Muses registering 14 kills and 15 digs while Tori Forrest also had a double-double with 15 kills and 16 digs. Brinkman added 13 kills, while Player and Setter of the Year, Taylor Dunklau, notched 48 assists and 14 digs while helping UNH to a .158 team hitting percentage.
Albany played solid defense with 99 digs and 10 team blocks. Laini Leindecker had 16 kills and 16 digs while Mikala McCauley finished with 41 assists and 19 digs. McCauley earned the conference’s Elite 18 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA competing at the finals site at each of the America East’s 18 team championships.
The Wildcats earned a victory in a closely-contested first set, 25-22, on the back of 15 combined kills from Muses, Brinkman and Forrest. The Wildcats out-hit Albany .151 to .128 in the set.
The Great Danes responded with a 25-19 victory in set two to even the match at one set apiece, coming from behind on the serves of McCauley and Tatum Jungsten.
The Great Danes trailed 11-8 in the frame before going on a 9-2 run as Leindecker and Dolan had two kills each. Albany extended the lead to 23-17 and then finished the set on a kill by Amy Hunter and a service error. Leindecker had six kills in the set and the Albany defense held UNH to a .130 hitting percentage.
A thrilling third set proved to be the difference in the match as the Wildcats stormed back from down 23-18 late in the frame to win in extra points, 27-25, and take a two-sets-to-one leads.
Albany led by five points on four different occasions in the set but could not close out the Wildcats. Down 23-18, Brinkman and Cassidy Croci had back-to-back kills to cut the deficit to three. After a pair of attack errors, UNH tied the set at 23 on a kill by Forrest. The teams traded points until a kill by Buckwalter and an attack error ended the frame.
New Hampshire carried that momentum into the fourth set where the Wildcats took control early, scoring 12 of the first 16 points. Brinkman had five kills as UNH recorded its highest hitting percentage in any game in the match at .243, taking the set and the match, 25-10.
The Wildcats become the seventh different team to win multiple championships in a row. They are the 15th home team to win the America East crown and have won all five of their titles at Lundhdolm Gym.
UNH earns the conference’s automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Volleyball Championship and will discover its opponent during the selection show on Sunday, November 30 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
All-Championship Team
Allison Hovie, Binghamton
Evann Slaughter, Stony Brook
Viktoriia Stroilo, Albany
Amanda Dolan, Albany
Madison Lightfoot, New Hampshire
Abby Brinkman, New Hampshire
Demi Muses, New Hampshire - Most Outstanding Player