BALTIMORE – For the fifth time in the last six years, UMBC is the America East volleyball champion. The top-seeded Retrievers rode big offensive performances from Jalynn Brown and Hannah Dobbs to defeat third-seeded UAlbany, 3-1, in the America East title match on Saturday afternoon at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
After UMBC took the first two sets, 25-17 and 27-25, UAlbany salvaged the third 25-20 and looked poised to force a fifth and deciding set, but UMBC rallied from 16-11 down to take it 26-24 and win the match. Brown and Dobbs combined for 43 kills with Brown totaling 24 and Dobbs 19. The duo each earned All-Championship honors.
The Retrievers’ Hannah Howard earned Most Outstanding honors for the championship after leading UMBC’s defensive effort with 59 digs in the two matches, including 32 vs. UAlbany.
UMBC, winners of 12 of its last 15 matches since starting the season 1-8, will represent the America East in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship for the sixth time in program history. The Retrievers will learn their NCAA draw during the selection show on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. The show will be televised on ESPNU.
How it Happened
- UMBC and UAlbany played the first set even midway through and the Great Danes took an 11-10 advantage.
- From there, the Retrievers went on a 13-3 run en route to winning the set, 25-17. Brown led the way with seven kills in the first stanza.
- The Retrievers looked to be headed for a run away win in the second set as they took a 22-17 on Claudia Llams’ kill. But, UAlbany tallied seven of the next nine points to tie the match at 24 before Brown delivered back-to-back kills to give UMBC a 27-25 win.
- UAlbany avoided the sweep by taking the third set, 25-20. The Great Danes used a 7-2 run in the middle of the stanza to pull away from the Retrievers.
- In the fourth set, UAlbany took a 13-7 lead before a 9-3 UMBC run tied the set at 16 apiece.
- The rest of the stanza went back and forth and UAlbany had a set point to force a fifth set, but the Retrievers ran off three straight points to take the set, 26-24, and win the match.
- Shynelle Worniuk led UAlbany with 24 kills while Maria Olga Siapani totaled 50 assists.
- Llamas added 15 kills while Laura Fuehrer added 10 to join Brown and Dobbs in twin figures for UMBC,
All-Championship Team
| Emily Cronkhite |
Binghamton |
| Arianna Ugolini |
Bryant |
| Tori Wilson |
UAlbany |
| Shynelle Woroniuk |
UAlbany |
| Jalynn Brown |
UMBC |
| Hannah Dobbs |
UMBC |
| Hannah Howard |
UMBC |
UAlbany’s Anna Myhal garnered the #AEVB Elite 18 award for posting the highest GPA of any athlete in the championship. The junior has a 3.94 GPA as a double major in business administration and economics.
ABOUT AMERICA EAST
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -