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Volleyball Advances to America East Title Game
Nov. 19, 2004
ALBANY, N.Y. - The University of Maine volleyball team topped Northeastern in dramatic fashion, 3-2 (30-19, 19-30, 30-25, 28-30, 15-12), on Friday evening at University Gymnasium to advance to the America East Championship match. With the semifinal victory, the third-seeded Black Bears improve to 19-10. No. 2 Northeastern concludes its season at 20-11. Maine will play the tournament's host and top seed, Albany, at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The Black Bears have never advanced to NCAA play. Against Northeastern, neither team could take control in the back-and-forth match. In the final game, Maine hit .286 as a team, compared to only .120 for the Huskies. "We were determined to win," said Maine head coach Lynn Theehs. "We knew that we had to be tough and showed up and played with guts and persevered at the end." Junior Kaili Jordan (Raymore, Saskatchewan) paced the Black Bears with 17 kills and also added 17 digs for the double-double. Sophomore Shelly Seipp (Spokane, Wash.) recorded a match-high 45 assists, plus 13 digs. Maine also received strong performances from junior Leah Guidinger (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan), who posted 13 kills and 13 digs, and senior Carmen Morgan (Watson, Saskatchewan), who finished with 12 kills and 18 digs. Junior Shannan Fotter (Riverside, Calif.) chipped in with 16 kills. "I am very proud of this team," added Theehs. "From day one, they have done everything we have asked of them. They have shown more heart and determination than I could have ever imagined. I am so impressed how they leave everything on the floor."
Whitney Turner led Northeastern with 17 kills and 14 digs. Bree Peterson had 38 assists and Larissa Adomat registered 14 kills. During the regular season, Albany and Maine split their series. In Albany, the Great Danes claimed a 3-0 match on Oct. 16. On Nov. 12 in Orono, the Black Bears snapped Albany's 18-match winning streak with a 3-2 victory. In semifinal action earlier today, the Great Danes swept No. 4 Binghamton, 3-0. This season, Albany is 11-0 on its home court. Maine will be making its second title game appearance as the team lost to Northeastern, 3-0 in 2001. A live scoreboard for the championship game will be available at the conference web site, www.americaeast.com. |
