No. 1 New Paltz (31-5, 9-0 SUNYAC)
New Paltz earned the top seed into the tournament by virtue of going undefeated in SUNYAC play… Currently, New Paltz is riding its second-longest winning streak in program history, as it has won 19 straight matches… The Hawks rank toward the top of the conference in nearly every statistical category… New Paltz ranks first in the SUNYAC in assists per set (11.40), kills per set (12.44), service aces per set (2.46), opponent hitting percentage (.113), opponent assists per set (8.02), opponent kills per set (9.02) and opponent blocks per set (1.34) and is second on the conference in hitting percentage (.192), digs per set (17.66) and opponent service aces per set (1.41)… Sophomore outside hitter Becca Borquist and senior setter Marissa King pace New Paltz on offense, as Borquist leads the SUNYAC in kills per set (3.54) and King leads the conference in assists per set (9.99)… Senior libero Carrie Hack shores up the back row defensively with a conference-leading 4.93 digs per set, and freshman middle blocker Morgan Roessler patrols the front row with a .316 hitting percentage and 0.92 blocks per set… Hack and King each have achieved history this season, as Hack boasts more than 2,000 career digs and King owns more than 4,000 assists… Each student-athlete holds the career program record in her respective statistical category… This marks New Paltz's second time hosting the SUNYAC Tournament, as it last hosted the event in 2009… The Hawks won their first and only conference title that season, besting Cortland, 3-0… New Paltz has no postseason history with either Potsdam or Plattsburgh, one of whom will be its semifinal round opponent… Against other teams in the field, the Hawks are 1-3 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against Buffalo State, 5-3 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against Fredonia and 1-2 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against Cortland… New Paltz is directed by 12th-year head coach Matt Giufre, who has received three SUNYAC Coach of the Year awards (2004, 2006 and 2009) and has guided the Hawks to three NCAA Tournament appearances… Giufre won his 300th career match during the Hawks Invitational earlier this season. |
No. 2 Buffalo State (23-9, 8-1 SUNYAC)
Buffalo State suffered just one loss in conference play this season, falling to New Paltz, 3-1, during the second round of SUNYAC Pool Play in New Paltz, N.Y… It marked the Bengals' first-ever time playing at the Hawk Center… Buffalo State is looking to avenge a championship final loss from last year's SUNYAC Tournament, as the Bengals fell in straight sets at the Buffalo State Sports Arena… Like New Paltz, Buffalo State is prominent among the SUNYAC leaders in team statistics… The Bengals lead the conference in hitting percentage (.194), digs per set (19.98) and opponent service aces per set (1.24)… Buffalo State ranks second in the SUNYAC in assists per set (10.90) and kills per set (12.12)… Senior setter Kelsey Bashore, who competed for NCAA Division I University of Louisiana at Lafayette during her freshman year in 2010, does a little bit of everything for the Bengals, as she ranks third in the SUNYAC in assists per set (8.91) and also averages 3.27 digs per set, 0.25 blocks per set and 0.24 service aces per set… Junior outside hitter Samantha Parente is Bashore's primary target on offense, as she ranks third in the SUNYAC in kills per set (3.04) and sixth in the conference in hitting percentage (.256)… Senior defensive specialist Chelsea Moore's numbers are nearly a mirror image of those produced by New Paltz's Carrie Hack, as Moore, too, has reached the 2,000-dig plateau, and she averages just .01 fewer digs per set than Hack this year at 4.92… Buffalo State is in search of its first-ever conference title… The Bengals are 0-6 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against Cortland—a potential semifinal match-up… Buffalo State is 1-0 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against Fredonia, 3-1 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against New Paltz, 0-1 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against Potsdam and 1-0 all-time in the SUNYAC Tournament against Plattsburgh… Third-year head coach Maria DePeters, who boasts a career overall record of 41-28, has the highest winning percentage in the history of Buffalo State's women's volleyball program at .594. |
No. 3 Fredonia (25-8, 7-2 SUNYAC)
Fredonia is currently riding a 15-match winning streak and last lost during the first round of SUNYAC Pool Play at Brockport… During that pool play, the Blue Devils fell to both New Paltz and Buffalo State, but they won out down the stretch to clinch the No. 3 seed into the SUNYAC Tournament… Statistically, Fredonia ranks toward the top of the SUNYAC in nearly every statistical category… The Blue Devils rank third in the conference in hitting percentage (.187), assists per set (10.90), kills per set (11.74), blocks per set (1.81) and service aces per set (2.33)… Fredonia is second in the SUNYAC in opponent hitting percentage (.142)… Sophomore setter Kelly Edinger helps drive the offense with a 9.41 per-set assists average, which ranks second in the SUNYAC… Senior outside hitter/middle blocker Hannah Manning and freshman outside hitter Sara Madison are among the conference leaders in service aces (0.47 per set, fifth) and kills (2.56 per set, sixth), respectively… Sophomore libero Lauren Hokaj serves as the team's libero and averages 3.84 digs per set… Fredonia finished the 2013 campaign undefeated at home, going 6-0 at Dods Hall… The Blue Devils' 15-6 neutral-site record is due largely to tough competition that it has played in those venues; of those six losses, two came against nationally-ranked teams… Fredonia last won the SUNYAC title in 2008 and has qualified for the semifinal round of the SUNYAC Tournament in every season since then… Fourteenth-year head coach Geoff Braun is 335-191 for his career and is a three-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year (2003, 2007 and 2008). |
No. 4 Plattsburgh (16-14, 6-3 SUNYAC)
Plattsburgh returns to the SUNYAC Tournament for the first time since 2003, as it rose to the No. 4 seed this year in the first season of non-divisional seeding… After starting out its season at 6-11, Plattsburgh went on a hot streak toward the end of the year, going 10-3 in its past 13 matches… One of those wins came against regionally-ranked Nazareth College, which boasts a strong résumé in-region… The Cardinals rank fourth in the SUNYAC in hitting percentage (.186) and kills per set (10.79)… Plattsburgh is led by the do-everything graduate student outside hitter/right side Rosi Cummings, who ranks second in the SUNYAC in kills per set (3.50) and also averages 3.15 digs per set, 0.35 blocks per set and 0.31 service aces per set… Cummings also hits at a .225 clip despite the fact that she has taken 1,171 swings this year… Plattsburgh runs a 6-2 offense, which is steered by sophomore setter Kristen Marchisotto (4.67 assists per set) and junior setter Meghan Clifford (4.17 assists per set)… Sophomore middle hitter Laura Diehl powers the front row defensively with 0.83 blocks per set, and Diehl also hits at an impressive .291 clip… Plattsburgh has never advanced past the quarterfinal round of the SUNYAC Tournament, but it did take a set against The College at Brockport in the quarterfinals in 1998… Dena O'Connell is in her 16th year coaching at Plattsburgh, and she guided the Cardinals to SUNYAC Tournament appearances in five of her first six seasons coaching at the North Country school. |
No. 5 Potsdam (15-15, 5-4 SUNYAC)
After starting off 3-0 in SUNYAC play, Potsdam slipped to the No. 5 seed, but it wound up clinching a spot in the tournament on the strength of its first weekend showing and wins over SUNY Geneseo and Brockport… The Bears enter this weekend riding the momentum of sweeping a tri-match against St. John Fisher College and Alfred University on Saturday, Nov. 2, at St. John Fisher… Those wins leveled Potsdam's overall record at .500… The Bears have been stingy on defense this year, as they rank second in the SUNYAC in opponent kills per set (9.59) and opponent assists per set (8.71)… Likewise, Potsdam is third in the conference in digs per set (16.66), and it is a strong serving team with the SUNYAC's second-best per-set average in service aces (2.36)… Senior setter/right side Jenna Blujus is a key reason why the Bears went above .500 in SUNYAC play, as she leads the conference in service aces per set (0.67) and is sixth in the SUNYAC in hitting percentage (.266)… Blujus, a setter who also plays some reps as a hitter, averages 3.62 assists per set, 2.02 kills per set, 3.64 digs per set and 0.33 blocks per set… Senior middle hitter Sara Anderson makes the most of the sets she receives, as she leads the SUNYAC in hitting percentage (.361)… Senior setter Lauren Manzo owns the Bears' top per-set assist average at 4.48, while junior libero/defensive specialist Gabby Arana leads the team in digs with 4.09 per set… Potsdam won a play-in match against SUNY Oneonta last year to gain entry into the SUNYAC Tournament, but it lost, 3-0, in the quarterfinal round to Fredonia… Prior to 2012, the Bears last qualified for the SUNYAC Tournament in 2005… Potsdam has four SUNYAC Tournament quarterfinal wins to its credit in its history, and all four victories have come in the five-set variety… The Bears have won twice against Geneseo and twice against Buffalo State in the SUNYAC Tournament… Josh Stokes, who previously constructed a powerhouse at Southern Vermont College, is in his first year as Potsdam's head coach. |
No. 6 Cortland (14-21, 4-5 SUNYAC)
Cortland has never missed qualifying for a SUNYAC Tournament, and despite some rough stretches in conference play, the Red Dragons maintained their impressive streak… Cortland punched its ticket to the tournament largely due to a 2-1 first weekend in conference play, during which it beat SUNY Oswego and Oneonta and nearly topped Potsdam in five sets… Most recently, Cortland gained experience against tough competition at the Emory Invitational from Nov. 1-2, meeting up with three nationally-ranked teams: Trinity (Texas) University, Emory University and Juniata College… The Red Dragons are strong on the serve receive, as they allow the SUNYAC's third-best per-set average in service aces (1.71)… Cortland is also fourth in the SUNYAC in blocks per set (1.77)… Senior middle hitter Ava Hintz is one of the Red Dragons' go-to student-athletes, as she ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage (.311), fifth in the conference in kills per set (2.70) and eighth in the conference in blocks per set (0.81)… Freshman setter Liz Roberts is Cortland's primary option at the setter position and averages 8.08 assists per set… Senior libero/defensive specialist Krissy Silk has proven to be a reliable back-row player, as she averages 3.68 digs per set and owns a .933 reception percentage… Cortland has won 19 SUNYAC titles in its history and has won three straight championships dating back to 2010… Only one other school (Brockport with five) has earned more than one SUNYAC title in its history… Pam Hoerup is in her ninth season as Cortland's head coach, and she guided the Red Dragons to at least 25 victories in each of her first eight seasons… Hoerup is a three-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year. |
