DURHAM, N.H. – The New Hampshire Wildcats became just the third program in conference history to win three-straight America East volleyball titles on Saturday evening, defeating the Albany Great Danes in four sets at Lundholm Gymnasium. The Wildcats defeated the Great Danes by set scores of 25-22, 23-25, 25-23 and 25-21.
New Hampshire joins Albany and Hofstra as the only programs to claim three-straight titles, winning the program’s sixth overall. All six of UNH’s titles have come on their home court as the program improved to 12-0 on its home court during tournament play.
Tori Forrest paced the UNH attack and earned Most Outstanding Player honors after notching 24 kills and 14 digs on a .327 hitting percentage. Madison Lightfoot and Cassidy Croci joined Forrest on the All-Championship team. Lightfoot finished with 53 digs over the two tournament games, while Croci had 19 total kills.
Co-America East Player of the Year, Laini Leindecker, led Albany with 19 kills and 14 digs to earn a spot on the All-Championship team. Amanda Dolan joined Leindecker after totaling 11 kills and four blocks in the final.
Albany junior setter Mikala McCauley was honored as the Elite 18 Award Winner for the second-straight season. She holds a 3.97 GPA in Psychology. The award, in its second year, is given to the top students competing in each America East Championship. For volleyball, the award goes to the student-athlete with the highest GPA between the two teams competing for the championship.
The title match between co-regular season champions was as close as one would expect as UNH only outscored Albany, 98-81, over the four sets. The Wildcats out-hit the Great Danes, .273-.188, and totaled 13 more digs than the Great Danes in the match.
New Hampshire trailed by as much as five in the first set, as Albany held a 20-15 advantage before the Wildcats won 10 of the final 12 points to win the set, 25-22. Forrest and Maggie Kenney each had two kills while Keelin Severtson had a pair of aces. Severtson finished with 60 assists in the match.
Led by six kills from Leindecker, Albany won the second set, 25-23, leading throughout the entire frame. The Great Danes held UNH to .075 hitting in the set, as Nicole Otero registered eight digs.
Forrest and Demi Muses came up big on the attack in the third set, combining for 12 kills as the Wildcats won, 25-23, to take a two sets to one advantage in the match. Severtson had 18 assists as UNH hit an astounding .586 in the set.
The Wildcats closed out their third-straight title, and sixth overall, with a 25-21, win in the fourth set. Forrest once again notched seven kills while Muses added five of her own plus nine digs.
The No. 1 seed improved to 7-1 all-time vs. the No. 2 seed in championship play with New Hampshire’s win, making it the 16th time the top seed has taken home the trophy.
New Hampshire will discover its fate in the 2015 NCAA Volleyball Championship on Sunday, Nov. 29, during the NCAA Selection Show on ESPNU at 9 p.m.
All-Championship
Stephanie McFadden, Stony Brook
Sarah Ngo, Binghamton
Laini Leindecker, Albany
Amanda Dolan, Albany
Maddie Lightfoot, New Hampshire
Cassidy Croci, New Hampshire
Tori Forrest, New Hampshire – Most Outstanding Player